Drones for Good Causes

Award-winning contributor Florian Ledoux used some of his best drone footage from earth's polar regions to put together this outstanding piece which won DVOW in February 2020. He skillfully uses the backdrop of shrinking glaciers and melting icebergs to remind us how these eco-systems - which hold the vast majority of the earth's freshwater - are to global climate change. The video features jaw-dropping footage from Greenland, Antarctica, the Canadian province of Nunavut, the Svalbard Islands of Northern Norway, and Iceland.

Check out this stunning drone video from northern Texas, compliments of top contributor ad pilot Feben Earth.  The video was shot at the Caprock Canyons, on the Texas Panhandle near the city of Amarillo.  Most of the canyons are part of  Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, the third largest of the Texas state parks.  Shot with a DJI Mavic Pro drone, the video was undertaken to promote the Love Your Texas Campaign in coordination with Texas State Parks and Wildlife. This video, was a DVOW nominee in May 2019

Contributor TannerNG used a drone to tell the story of how deforestation is affecting landscapes in the  Ontario province of Canada.  It was filmed around the town of Dryden, which is in the far western part of the province.  The area is northwest of Lake Superior, not far from the western border with Manitoba.  The video shows how the logging and paper industries have cleared part of the area of its ancient forests.  It also shows the contrast with the area further north, which has been comparatively untouched.

Home to some of the world's largest icecaps and glaciers, and graced with massive waterfalls, Iceland reminds the world of fresh water's importance to life on Planet Earth.  That's the message that top contributor Paul Vlad wants to bring through in this excellent drone video from the North Atlantic island nation.  You'll be taken over scenes of massive water movement in the form of falls, streams, and rivers, all parts of a giant system which is in danger of being thrown out of balance by human activity.

Top contributor Douglas Thron has gained international recognition for his use of drone photography and video to visually convey the tragedy of natural disasters.  In this video, his skills are put to use in the Bahamas, parts of which were devastated by Hurricane Dorian when one of history's most powerful storms ripped through the islands in August of 2019.  In this case, his drones served an additional purpose - they were used to find rescue dogs that were regularly becoming trapped in the wreckage.  

Aerial content creators aeroCircus capture the brave men and women who volunteer their time to be on a mountain rescue team in the German Bavarian Alps. Check out the courageous Bergwacht Berchtesgaden Crew on a training mission in this drone film.

These FPV freestyle pilots took a risk when they were out flying one day and noticed someone illegally dumping trash.  Contributor Crash Test Dave and his fellow FPV mate of Hemet FPV chased down the criminal with their quads, captured him in the act, shared the footage, and justice was served.

Contributor Douglas Thron has been known to capture some eye-opening drone footage. This time he highlights the environmental impacts of industrial feedlots by revealing living conditions of the cattle.  He captured the devastatingly expansive and dusty feed yard from a drone and the results are shocking.

The Lindbergh Foundation non-profit has teamed up with UAV and Drone Solutions in South Africa to form the Air Shepherd Initiative. Their goal is to battle the poaching crisis in the Kruger National Park and surrounding areas. For more information on how you can help their valiant and effective effort to save Rhinos, Elephants, and other animals, go to www.airshepherd.org.

Now more than ever, drones are being used in all kinds of emergency situations by brave men and women around the world. Natural disaster response, accident investigation, crowd control as well as search and rescue for missing persons. Drones are also making their mark as an invaluable tool for firefighters. We talked to New Haven, Connecticut Fire Department Chief Robert Schwartz to hear how drones are helping his team and their cause.

Content creator Douglas Thron uses his device of choice, the drone, to bring to light the plight of the pig in this aerial documentary about the Pig Preserve in Tennessee, USA.  This animal sanctuary takes in pigs from all walks of life, from hurricane rescue, to factory farms, and to feral living.  The preserve is in the Cumberland Mountains, which run through the middle part of the state.  See these pigs living it up in their new place to call home in this enlightening Drone Video Awards' nominated piece.

Mosul is a war torn city of Iraq on the Tigris River. Professional award-winning drone cinematographers Kelly’s Heroes traveled to document Mosul for a Belgian television series. Unfortunately, war is not new to this area: Mosul lies on the ruins of the great Assyrian capital of Nineveh, once the world's largest city.  Its sacking in 612 BC killed thousands and was one of the most consequential events of ancient history. This video is a Finalist in the Drones for Good category in the second annual DVA's. 

Contributor and drone extraordinaire, Florian Ledoux, does his part to aid in nature conservation by capturing intimate and unseen scenes of marine life to share with the rest of the world.  It is clear in his drone masterpiece, "I Am Fragile", that he approaches his wild subjects like polar bears, narwhals, and walruses with the utmost care and with great consideration for their surroundings. This moving piece is a nominee in the Drones for Good category in the AirVuz Drone Video Awards.

South America is of course closely associated with mining, going back to the days of the Spanish conquistadors.  While the continent's gold and silver resources have largely been exhausted, the Andean nation of Peru continues to be one of the world's most important countries for mining.  Unfortunately, some of this activity is performed illegally, at great cost to the environment.  In this video, contributor Niels Ahmes used a drone to expose an illegal mining operation in the Amazon Basin part of the country.  

When Rick Allen started to climb the infamous mountain K2, he thought he had all that he would need to get through the journey alive. What he didn't know was that the elements would take hold and he'd be lost for days. Luckily a random drone pilot was out helping search for him Rick, eventually saving his life. Watch the story for more!

Lake Eildon is the central feature of the Lake Eildon National Park in the Central Highlands region of Victoria, Australia. The 68,600-acre national park is just 69 miles (111 kilometers) northeast of Melbourne. The lake has experienced several droughts in the last 2 decades, leaving considerable economic hardship for the local community, something that may be experienced again with this drought. See it for yourself in this moving piece by contributor littleviking; this video was a Finalist for the Drone Video of the Week

The 2019 Lebanese protests, nicknamed the Tax Intifada, and WhatsApp Revolution, has been a series of country-wide protests against the government’s failure to act during what is now an economic crisis. The protests are the largest since the country’s independence with protestors now demanding a new political system in the country. MrFpv | manuelbass grabbed his 5-inch racing drone to fly above the crowds during this incredibly powerful time, giving us an aerial view of the power of the people. 

In a timely and incredibly powerful piece pilot Carlos Duarte highlights the migrant journey through the eyes of his drone. The migrant caravans from Honduras include thousands of people, hoping to make it to a better life. Carlos has captured their journey as they pile into the backs of pickup trucks, push their way through police and over barriers in Guatemala, walk over bridges and crossing rivers by foot or by raft to Mexico.