About the Series
Starting 10 October, WILDLABS and the Satellite Applications Catapult are proud to announce our new virtual course: Earth Observation 101. This four-part lecture series from Dr Cristian Rossi explores the technologies and the algorithms behind remote sensing and gives an overview of several applications using RS data, including practicalities about data access and processing.
Are you new to Remote Sensing, or want to know more about the applications of the technology? Then this series is for you! This series will give you the practical knowledge base you need to understand the current state of Earth Observation for Conservation and where the field is headed.
Remote Sensing (RS) is the science of obtaining information about the Earth’s physical, chemical, and biological systems without physical contact. It employs sensors that measure the electromagnetic radiation which interacts with land, ocean, and atmosphere. It is used in a diverse set of applications, such as forestry, agriculture, geology, hydrology, archaeology, meteorology, oceanography, zoology, glaciology, and many other disciplines.
RS history dates back over 200 years, with the first photographs capturing landscapes from balloons, kites and even pigeons. Many years later the systematic use of this technology was deployed for surveillance purposes during the two world wars. With rapid scientific progress, the global utilisation of this technology was finally reached in the 70s, with the development of satellites orbiting around the Earth and the establishment of several space agency programmes that provide useful data for research and development. Nowadays, many commercial companies own satellite constellations and the combined data availability from public and private sources is hitting global coverage with hourly acquisitions. This lecture series explores the technologies and the algorithms behind remote sensing and gives an overview of several applications using RS data, including practicalities about data access and processing.
This lecture series is free and allows you to move at your own pace with videos available to all on the WILDLABS YouTube channel. Course content will also be posted in this group so you can navigate through all the content, engage with other participants, and reach out to the course instructor directly.
To join this virtual course, register here!

The Series Schedule
- Part 1: How does it work? (10 October)
The first part of the lecture series is focused on exploring the physical fundamentals of the main two earth observation technologies: optical and radar. We will cover the remote sensing process, from data acquisition to result presentation; the main theoretical concept behind remote sensing imaging, i.e. the electromagnetic spectrum; and we finally will explore the basic properties of optical and radar imagery. - Part 2: What can it do? (17 October)
The second part of the lecture series is dedicated to present an overview of many applications where remote sensing data has been used. After a general overview, we will enter more in detail into applications using optical data, with an introduction to vegetation mapping, and finally into radar applications, where we describe the complementarity of these two technologies. - Part 3: How is it being used? (24 October)
The third part of the lecture series covers two specific case studies: an environmental one, i.e. the search for lithium in Cornwall, and a conservation one, i.e. the monitoring of wildlife corridors. The case studies are covered in depth, with a description of the remote sensing process behind them. - Part 4: How do I get started? (31 October)
The last part of the lecture series is the practical one. We will discover how to access earth observation data from both public and commercial providers; we will describe in detail the main public satellite missions; we will discover existing products generated with earth observation data and finally we will briefly describe available tools and platform for data processing.
Meet your course instructor
Dr Cristian Rossi - Satellite Applications Catapult & University of Oxford
Cristian Rossi received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in telecommunication engineering from the Polytechnic of Milan, Italy and the Ph.D. degree in remote sensing technology from the Technical University of Munich, Germany. He is currently the Geospatial Science Lead at the Satellite Applications Catapult, where he is coordinating with research and academic communities to ensure pull through of science to support organisation activities and he is technically leading several national and international projects focused on the exploitation of remote sensing data for land and ocean applications.
Among his other tasks, Cristian is also responsible of teaching about Earth observation data and algorithms through courses and seminars for industry and academia at all levels and he regularly supports business development and government operations. He is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Oxford, and he is supervising data science PhD students. He is member of several scientific committees, including UKRI consultations for shaping future research funds, and several Centres for Doctoral Training steering boards. Before moving to the UK, he was a Research Scientist with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), where he was involved in the development of novel algorithms for Earth observation missions. His research interests are focused on data science for sustainable applications and climate change adaptation. He has authored or co-authored more than 90 publications in international journals, conferences, and book chapters.
Group curators
- 0 Resources
- 3 Discussions
- 1 Groups
PhD student-passive acoustic monitoring with lemurs in Madagascar; Science Outreach Coordinator-Rainforest Connection (RFCx)
- 62 Resources
- 232 Discussions
- 18 Groups
Project Officer, WILDLABS
- 6 Resources
- 13 Discussions
- 5 Groups
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- 0 Discussions
- 1 Groups
PhD Student (UCSC, Wilmers Lab) interested in large carnivores, behavioral ecology, human-wildlife coexistence, and biologging
- 0 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 2 Groups
I am a GIS Analyst currently working at Center for Ecosystem Restoration Kenya, a non-profit whose vision is to restore resilient and thriving ecosystems. I have a Bachelor's degree in Geoinformation Technology and I am looking to explore applications of GIS in Conservation.
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- 8 Groups
A wildlife biologist currently engaging in counter wildlife trafficking through tracking wildlife crime cases in Kenya - Tsavo. An elephant lover, passionate about empowering people and a tech enthusiast!
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 4 Groups
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- 0 Discussions
- 7 Groups
A systems and policy specialist, currently working as the Quality & Accreditation Manager for Ceres Tag.
- 2 Resources
- 15 Discussions
- 16 Groups
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- 11 Groups
- 0 Resources
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- 3 Groups
I am currently a student studying Wildlife and Ecotourism Management in University of Ìbàdàn, Nigeria, I'm a front-end developer. I am interested in conservation technology
- 0 Resources
- 5 Discussions
- 11 Groups
7 transformative projects will gain access to cutting-edge satellite tech & funding to protect wildlife & habitats
7 June 2023
How to use geospatial data for rapid analyses of forest carbon projects
5 April 2023
How environmental consultancy Eticwood use geospatial data for rapid forest carbon project assessments
24 March 2023
Connected Conservation Foundation (CCF) has led a cross-sector collaboration to explore if very-high satellite imagery (VHS) and AI could offer a feasible alternative to wildlife surveying in savannah environments.
20 March 2023
1
The role of no-code geospatial software in the fight against climate change
24 January 2023
5
1
Conservation partnership launches new award to advance biodiversity conservation from space
5 December 2022
Welcome to week 4 of our Earth Observation 101 Virtual Course! In this final week we discover how to access earth observation data from both public and commercial providers; describe in detail the main public satellite...
31 October 2022
1
This SPACES paper aims to inspire the audience to use spatial intelligence as an enabler for integrated nature and climate action. It showcases ’emerging’ data sources and digital technology in the nature and climate...
28 October 2022
Welcome to week 3 of our Earth Observation 101 Virtual Course! This week we explore how remote sensing data is used in both environmental and conservation case studies.
24 October 2022
1
Welcome to week 2 of our Earth Observation 101 Virtual Course, where we delve into several example applications of using Remote Sensing data.
17 October 2022
1
Welcome to the first part of our Earth Observation 101 Virtual Course, where we explore the physical fundamentals of the main two earth observation technologies: optical and radar
10 October 2022
May 2023
March 2023
event
February 2023
event
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Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
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Hi Jeremy, With a quick search I've found the paper linked below. It looks like equipments such as Livox MID are sufficient for plot-level analyses, but not for individual... |
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Drones, Earth Observation 101 Community, Emerging Tech, Remote Sensing & GIS, Sensors | 2 months ago | |
Hello EO101 community!We hope you have enjoyed the EO101 lecture series! With all four parts now available on the WILDLABS YouTube channel... |
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Earth Observation 101 Community, Community Base | 7 months ago | |
Hello EO101 Community!We'll be hosting a live chat on YouTube as part of our watch party of Part 4 on the WILDLABS YouTube channel.... |
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Earth Observation 101 Community | 7 months 1 week ago | |
Ok no problem! Let me know if you have trouble viewing one of the specific figures/diagrams clearly though and I can try reaching out to the speaker to see if they would be... |
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Earth Observation 101 Community | 7 months 1 week ago | |
Hello EO101 Community!We'll be hosting a live chat on YouTube as part of our watch party of Part 2 on the WILDLABS YouTube channel.... |
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Earth Observation 101 Community | 7 months 3 weeks ago | |
To start a completely new discussion, click the post button in the top menu then select the EO 101 community group to have the discussion appear here! |
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Earth Observation 101 Community | 7 months 4 weeks ago | |
Also this: "Earth observation for ecosystem accounting: spatially explicit national seagrass extent and carbon stock in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar" |
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Earth Observation 101 Community | 7 months 4 weeks ago | |
Hi Robin, you can watch full part 1 video after the premiere or the individual lectures anytime (details below)we have also set up a discussion thread if you have any comments or... |
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Earth Observation 101 Community | 7 months 4 weeks ago | |
For anyone interested we have decided to try a YouTube premiere for each part of the course. For the first part of the course visit our YouTube channel at 3:00pm BST on Monday 10... |
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Earth Observation 101 Community | 8 months ago |
2023 Satellite for Biodiversity Award Winners
7 June 2023 2:22pm
Rapid due diligence for forest carbon projects
21 April 2023 10:51am
Advice on afforable LiDAR scanners for Amazon forest surveys
5 April 2023 3:47pm
Due diligence for Nature Based Solutions
5 April 2023 3:38pm
Meeting customer deadlines, without having to hire more staff
24 March 2023 4:02pm
New White Paper: Can very high-resolution satellite imagery and artificial intelligence modernise wildlife surveys in Africa?
20 March 2023 11:31am
How do I get started with Landsat for Land use and Land cover mapping?
6 March 2023 10:15am
How to conduct rapid eligibility assessments for forest carbon projects using geospatial data
3 February 2023 3:32pm
We need more people using Earth observation data
24 January 2023 4:51pm
3 February 2023 11:11am
3 February 2023 11:17am
3 February 2023 7:40pm
New: Satellites for Biodiversity Award
5 December 2022 2:08pm
Earth Observation 101 - would you like an end of course Q&A?
3 November 2022 4:18pm
EO101 Part 4: How do I get started? - Discussion
31 October 2022 12:06pm
Earth Observation 101 - Part 4: How do I get started?
31 October 2022 12:04pm
Tech to Track: Harnessing thepotential of spatial data & digital technologies to prioritise nature and climate action
28 October 2022 10:14am
EO101 Part 3: How is it being used? - Discussion
24 October 2022 10:40am
25 October 2022 9:49am
Hi Shani, great to hear you are enjoying the series!
We're happy to share slides if our speakers give permission, in this case however the speaker has elected not to because of some of the content in the slides.
Was there anything specific you had trouble viewing and wanted to look at in more detail?
27 October 2022 4:39am
No, just in general it's easier for me to absorb information when I can look at it at my own pace (like some things from the first lecture, trying to remember the different types of sensors and their strengths, etc). But no problem at all, I understand- I can always scroll through the video and also do other research online. Thanks for getting back to me!
27 October 2022 2:49pm
Ok no problem! Let me know if you have trouble viewing one of the specific figures/diagrams clearly though and I can try reaching out to the speaker to see if they would be willing to provide a higher resolution version.
Earth Observation 101 - Part 3: How is it being used?
24 October 2022 10:45am
Earth Observation 101 - Part 2: What can it do?
17 October 2022 12:50pm
EO101 Part 2: What can it do? - Discussion
17 October 2022 12:22pm
EO101 Part 1: How does it work? - Discussion
10 October 2022 1:19pm
11 October 2022 5:49pm
Hi Carly - not an answer to your question - but how do I post a question this discussion page for the course? I can't figure it out.
11 October 2022 5:50pm
If you click on the 'reply to thread' button, you can post your own question!
11 October 2022 5:55pm
To start a completely new discussion, click the post button in the top menu then select the EO 101 community group to have the discussion appear here!


EO 101 Extra Credit: Interesting Papers & Resources (add your own)
10 October 2022 5:08pm
10 October 2022 5:20pm
Just came across this:
10 October 2022 5:28pm
Also this:
"Earth observation for ecosystem accounting: spatially explicit national seagrass extent and carbon stock in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar"
Welcome to the EO101 Virtual Lecture Series!
6 October 2022 11:23am
10 October 2022 2:29pm
Hi all
I am a sound designer, field recordist and electroacoustic composer, and I currently find myself in an job working events for Google; this has allowed me to learn a load about ML, CNNs etc. This has reignited my interest in PAM and ecoacoustics in general; I graduated with an MSc in Sound Design from Edinburgh Napier in 2018 and am looking to pursue research-based career options in teh scientific application of sound.
Also my mother worked in pest research through the 80s and 90s and was a GIS and remote sensing specialist so the subject is somewhat in my DNA.
Robin
10 October 2022 2:32pm
Unfortunately I am working on a live event at exactly the same time as this webcast, but I will catch up later if I may?
10 October 2022 3:00pm
Hi Robin, you can watch full part 1 video after the premiere or the individual lectures anytime (details below)
we have also set up a discussion thread if you have any comments or questions after watching:
Earth Observation 101 - Part 1: How does it work?
10 October 2022 2:05pm
Watch Party: Earth Observation 101
3 October 2022 2:59pm
3 October 2022 11:36pm
Interested! I'm in EST (east coast of the US).
6 October 2022 4:13pm
For anyone interested we have decided to try a YouTube premiere for each part of the course. For the first part of the course visit our YouTube channel at 3:00pm BST on Monday 10 October to join a live chat and watch along with other participants. The video will then be available to watch anytime.
Earth Observation 101 - Part 4: How do I get started?
30 September 2022 11:48am
Earth Observation 101 - Part 3: How is it being used?
30 September 2022 11:14am
Earth Observation 101 - Part 2: What can it do?
30 September 2022 10:50am
Earth Observation 101 - Part 1: How does it work?
30 September 2022 10:31am
Earth Observation 101 Virtual Course
30 September 2022 10:05am
3 October 2022 9:45am
3 October 2022 10:01am
5 October 2022 2:13pm
Catch Up with the Variety Hour: October
22 September 2022 1:59pm
6 April 2023 6:21pm
Hi Jeremy,
With a quick search I've found the paper linked below. It looks like equipments such as Livox MID are sufficient for plot-level analyses, but not for individual trees. Also, it has performed worse in dense canopies and broadleaf forest, thus I believe we won't have a technology capable of doing what you aim for this amount of money (< $1000) in a few years from now.
I hope someone give us an alternative, though. :D
Best,