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    Technology options

    How to evaluate vendors

    Many companies offer geospatial technologies that can help support land trusts’ remote monitoring needs.

    Different stewardship teams may have needs that are better addressed through certain approaches rather than others, and a technology that serves one organization well may not always be the ideal choice for another. Generally, the products and services that can be used to conduct remote monitoring fall into several niches:

    • Direct-from-vendor products include imagery and data sold straight from the source. The providers of these kinds of products include, for instance, satellite imagery vendors that operate their own constellations of Earth-observing satellites, as well as independent drone operators who might gather imagery or advanced remote sensing data to visualize the landscape on a smaller scale. Because of the large scale at which some satellite imagery providers operate, they can have large minimum purchase requirements that are often best suited to large organizations or collaborations between multiple organizations. Typically, direct-from-vendor products require more technical expertise to use effectively. They may offer opportunities for custom analysis and enable land trusts to maintain licensing of files on their own servers.

    • Imagery resellers offer many of the same imagery and data products as those that might be acquired directly from a vendor, but typically have lower minimum purchase requirements and, sometimes, offer discounted rates. They typically offer flexibility to purchase imagery from multiple sources, depending on project needs.

    • End-to-end or integrated services may offer data and imagery products as well as analytical tools, image viewing platforms, and web-based data storage options that are typically offered on a subscription basis. They tend to be more user-friendly and often offer cloud storage to reduce data storage constraints on organizations, but sometimes their offerings have limitations in terms of customization.

    Within each of these broad groupings, different companies may offer a range of tools and services that land trusts might consider when deciding on which technologies best suit their needs.

    Questions to ask?

    When considering remote monitoring options, be sure to evaluate:

    Factor
    Questions to Ask
    Spatial resolution
    What level of detail are you able to visualize given the quality of the imagery?
    Spectral resolution
    Do you want to access visible spectrum imagery that represents what you would see with your own eyes, or do you want to use multi-spectral data that can help visualize things like vegetation productivity or waterways?
    Temporal resolution
    How frequently do you need access to imagery, and when is imagery from vendors available? Daily? Monthly? Yearly? Consider land trust accreditation and Terrafirma timing requirements when making a timing decision.
    Geographic availability
    Is data available for all areas where you require imagery?
    Cost and pricing structure
    Is data available on a per-image or per-acre basis, or is it wrapped up into a subscription service?
    User friendliness
    How easily can staff or volunteers learn to use a new monitoring platform? Do vendors provide training for staff?
    Customer service
    How accessible are company representatives to answer questions and provide technical assistance?
    Feasibility
    Do you need to have an appropriate organizational capacity and technical background to effectively use a particular approach? Will it be viable to replicate year after year?
    Data transfer
    How does the land trust obtain the imagery once it has been purchased? Is it emailed, downloaded online or provided some other way?
    Data storage
    Do you need to store large data files on your own servers, or are products available online?
    Data ownership
    Depending on your needs for long-term access, is the data you purchase retained in your own possession in an accessible format, or are you only able to access it through a third-party platform?
    Conservation defense

    When deciding how often you'll need imagery, consider timing requirements for Terrafirma and conservation defense. See the Remote Monitoring: Practices, Limitations and Use in Legal Defense Practical Pointer for important considerations when using remote monitoring.

    View practical pointer