Carolina Drone Lab | Flying for Fieldwork

Green roofs enhance sustainability by slowing rainwater runoff, reducing energy consumption, and more. The Carolina Drone Lab (CARDNL), housed within the UNC Institute for the Environment, is taking a closer look at Carolina's green roofs through its Islands in the Sky project. The project, made possible through the Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE)/Lenovo Instructional Innovation Grants program, will reveal how well campus green roofs are performing. CARDNL Research Technician Peggy Mullin and EcoStudio Intern Steve Yoon ('23) join us to talk about this project and more. 

CARDNL facilitates the use of drones and sensors, on campus and abroad, to further research and innovation. Though the group has its own projects, they also collaborate with researchers across campus to give them a bird's eye view of geological features, archaeological sites, and changing coastlines — just to name a few. UNC Institute for the Environment Associate Director Susan Cohen leads the lab.

Launched in fall 2020, Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net zero water usage, zero waste to landfills and net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Piehler, Sustainable Carolina will advance these goals through collaborative partnerships across operations, academics, and research.