Drone technology is widely used in forestry for tasks such as collecting high-resolution imagery, monitoring forest health, mapping forest resources, and detecting changes in land use or vegetation cover.

Third-year students from the Department of Forest Engineering at Artvin Çoruh University Faculty of Forestry received hands-on training in the "Remote Sensing in Forestry" course on the following topics:

1. Learning to use drones safely and effectively.
2. Gaining skills in flight planning and mission execution.
3. Processing aerial imagery and analyzing it for forest management.
4. Integrating drone data into GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and remote sensing platforms.

As part of the course, students gained practical experience in:

• Field applications for drone flights,
• Drone navigation and camera control,
• Data collection from specific forest areas,
• Using software to process imagery obtained by drones.

Çiğse Ilgın, a third-year Forest Engineering student, shared her experience with drone training:
"Learning to use drones has been a significant milestone for us. Applying what we’ve learned in class to real-world scenarios is incredibly exciting."

Associate Professor Mehmet Yavuz, the course instructor and an expert in drone technology and remote sensing, emphasized that the skills students acquired would positively contribute to their careers in areas such as forest inventory studies, wildfire management, and environmental monitoring. He also underlined that integrating drone technology into the remote sensing course highlights the Department of Forest Engineering's commitment to innovative education.

Dr. Yavuz, who also serves as the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Forestry, stated that they adopt a robust, field-oriented education model by combining theoretical knowledge with practical applications. He added that this approach ensures students are well-prepared to address the challenges of sustainable forest management.