Drones serve a significant purpose to the outdoors

Donal Hickey believes the technological advancements in drones could have a significant impact on Ireland’s vegetation, if used properly.

Upwards of 6,000 drones are now being used in Ireland and are going to become a more common sight. They have a wide range of environmental purposes including detecting and mapping the invasive species, Japanese knotweed, now found in many parts of the country.

Elsewhere, drones are proving useful for tracking and monitoring the movements of wildlife in difficult-to-reach places, as well as combating poaching of protected animals.