Case Study: HeritageNI achieves precise mapping of 150 km of Strangford Lough to protect bird habitat with Trimble Catalyst and UAV Ground Control

Using precise positioning to control an invasive species and preserve important habitat

HeritageNI, a Northern Ireland drone and mapping specialist, was contracted by the National Trust and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency to map the spread of invasive Spartina anglica across more than 150 km of Strangford Lough’s intertidal shoreline. Drone imagery alone missed brown or decaying plants, so the team needed a portable, high‑accuracy solution for on‑foot surveys to identify even single plants in challenging terrain and weather.

Using Trimble Catalyst GNSS and Trimble UAV Ground Control, HeritageNI recorded more than 30,000 precise GNSS points during foot inspections and combined these with drone-mapped larger patches. Data were processed in QGIS into point and polygon shapefiles and handed to the National Trust and NIEA, giving them an accurate, actionable map to prioritize mitigation—with rapid (≈15s) position fixes and single-plant detection helping preserve the Lough’s critical habitat.

HeritageNI

David Craig

Founder