Hi All,

I'm in a small volunteer conservation group in the inner western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. We care for a small patch of remnant wetlands, and work closely with the land management authorities (water utility and local government). Our wetlands are adjacent to some RAMSAR-listed wetlands, and the key environmental values include habitat for migratory shorebirds, and saltmarsh.

Like much of southern Australia, our wildlife is being devastated by foxes. Action (trapping & removal) taken by the land management is generally uninformed and too late (chicks have been eaten). A grant opportunity has come up. I'm looking to include a drone with thermal imaging capabilities as part of a process to more rapidly measure and model the fox population in high-value conservation areas.

I'm new to drones (the grant request will include some knowledge transfer), and simply choosing one has been a bit of a nightmare so far. DJI seems a lead manufacturer and their Mavic 3T an option but the IP44-rated Matrice (with thermal camera module) is potentially more sensible with our rainfall pattern of 139 days per year with drizzle. And proximity to water bodies.

Has anyone done a similar product choice or can point me to one?

Thanks,
Doug