“Using Satellite Remote Sensing to Help Conserve Wildlife Habitat” was presented by Dr. Steven E. Franklin, Trent University president and vice-chancellor, who is a research scientist in the area of terrain analysis and environmental management. The lecture took place at the Thornton Road Campus on Monday, February 27, 2012.

Using remote sensing to understand our changing environment was the focus of the talk in which Dr. Franklin provided an example of his research on human-caused disturbances to grizzly bears in Alberta.

“What motivates me to use remote sensing is the chance to more fully understand environmental changes as they occur,” says Dr. Franklin. “It allows us to better manage change, to make better decisions, for example, about species-at-risk and the quality of their habitat, and to count the true costs of introducing change into the environment.”

Author, teacher and expert in the science of remote sensing, Dr. Franklin describes remote sensing as the detection, recognition and evaluation of surfaces and objects from a distance, using advanced sensing technology via airborne devices and satellites.

Dr. Franklin’s current academic interests focus on interdisciplinary environmental science and the application of satellite and aerial remote sensing to terrain analysis and environmental management. His award winning academic publications include more than 120 refereed journal articles, and four books, with the most recent published in 2010 by McGraw-Hill Professional entitled Remote Sensing for Biodiversity and Wildlife Management: Synthesis and Applications. Most recent awards include the Canadian Remote Sensing Society Gold Medal (2007), the Sustainability Award from the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (2007), and the Canadian Forest Service Merit Award (2006).

To see a video about Dr. Franklin’s research, visit: http://www.trentu.ca/administration/presidentsoffice.php

Posted on Tuesday, February 28, 2012.