Benjamin Finley is a Geographer at the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center with areas of interest in remote sensing and aerial imagery acquisition.
Benjamin received his Bachelor of Science in Geography from The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2019. He is presently working toward earning a Master of Science degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. His career with the USGS began in 2019 and has focused on the planning, acquisition, processing, and analysis of aerial imagery from manned and unmanned platforms. Benjamin has worked on the first aerial vegetation mapping of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and continues the multi-decade work of his predecessors in the ongoing long-term monitoring of the Upper Mississippi River System.
Science and Products
Aerial orthoimagery development of Emiquon and Spunky Bottoms Preserves on the Illinois River for the Nature Conservancy
The Illinois River's Emiquon and Spunky Bottoms Preserves are collaborative floodplain restoration projects involving The Nature Conservancy (TNC), The US Army Corps of Engineers, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), with restoration efforts guided by a team of over forty science advisers. Emiquon and Spunky Bottoms were historic wetlands prior to conversion to farmland. This project is...
Feral hog survey over Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve using high-resolution thermal infrared imagery
The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (JELA) in southeastern Louisiana is being invaded by feral hogs (Sus scrofa) and in need a systemic survey to determine where and how many hogs exist within the park boundary. Feral hogs are able to reproduce and increase their range rapidly, they are highly destructive to streams, wetlands, native plants and farm fields, and can spread...
Pre- and Post-Maintenance Aerial Imagery for Illinois River's Alton through Brandon Lock and Dams, 2019-2021
Most of the locks and dams on the Illinois River are scheduled for closure for repair during the summer of 2020. This project will use 4-band (natural color and color infrared) aerial imagery to document baseline aquatic vegetation and river conditions prior to the closures in the late summer of 2019, and once again in the later summer of 2021 after the locks are reopened.
Remote Sensing in support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Surveys Branch
The Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center and the USFWS Migratory Bird Surveys Branch continue to partner on remote sensing projects that document and describe our natural resources, including flight planning, image acquisition, and image processing support for both waterfowl and wildlife surveys and for vegetation mapping projects.
Small Unmanned Aircraft System Assets
This web page describes small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) assets available at the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC), current to May 1, 2020. These sUAS assets will change with project requirements and advancements in sUAS technology, in accordance with the Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Aircraft Services (OAS) policy.In accordance to DOI Secretarial Order 3379,...
Science and Products
- Science
Aerial orthoimagery development of Emiquon and Spunky Bottoms Preserves on the Illinois River for the Nature Conservancy
The Illinois River's Emiquon and Spunky Bottoms Preserves are collaborative floodplain restoration projects involving The Nature Conservancy (TNC), The US Army Corps of Engineers, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), with restoration efforts guided by a team of over forty science advisers. Emiquon and Spunky Bottoms were historic wetlands prior to conversion to farmland. This project is...Feral hog survey over Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve using high-resolution thermal infrared imagery
The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (JELA) in southeastern Louisiana is being invaded by feral hogs (Sus scrofa) and in need a systemic survey to determine where and how many hogs exist within the park boundary. Feral hogs are able to reproduce and increase their range rapidly, they are highly destructive to streams, wetlands, native plants and farm fields, and can spread...Pre- and Post-Maintenance Aerial Imagery for Illinois River's Alton through Brandon Lock and Dams, 2019-2021
Most of the locks and dams on the Illinois River are scheduled for closure for repair during the summer of 2020. This project will use 4-band (natural color and color infrared) aerial imagery to document baseline aquatic vegetation and river conditions prior to the closures in the late summer of 2019, and once again in the later summer of 2021 after the locks are reopened.Remote Sensing in support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Surveys Branch
The Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center and the USFWS Migratory Bird Surveys Branch continue to partner on remote sensing projects that document and describe our natural resources, including flight planning, image acquisition, and image processing support for both waterfowl and wildlife surveys and for vegetation mapping projects.Small Unmanned Aircraft System Assets
This web page describes small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) assets available at the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC), current to May 1, 2020. These sUAS assets will change with project requirements and advancements in sUAS technology, in accordance with the Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Aircraft Services (OAS) policy.In accordance to DOI Secretarial Order 3379,... - Multimedia