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Catch up on the latest LightHawk news 
December 2023 Featured mission: Looking back at 2023, looking ahead to 2024
As we reach the end of 2023, it feels like the year has flown by! We have accomplished quite a bit thanks to the flights donated by volunteer pilots across the country. Our team of conservation experts have built lasting relationships with our conservation partners and set the stage for even more exciting flight opportunities in the coming year.
Looking Back at 2023 Before we turn the calendar to 2024, let's take a look back at what we did over the last 12 months. Wildlife – Throughout the year, our volunteer pilots transported a number of endangered species, including Mexican wolf pups, adult red wolves, black-footed ferrets, California condors and white abalone, including the first transport of endangered gray wolves for reintroduction into Colorado. In addition to transporting endangered species, our volunteer pilots have played a crucial role in monitoring flights, conducting telemetry missions around island foxes, pronghorns and California condors. These flights provide invaluable support to our partners and are advancing wildlife conservation efforts. Wild Places – LightHawk worked with partners across the country to monitor land trusts and document challenges to protected lands and wildlife connectivity. These flights advance conservation by providing access to areas that would be difficult or even impossible to view without significant investments of time and effort to reach them on the ground. Our ability to cover large swaths of ground in a short timeframe allows our partners to accomplish more of their goals in less time. 
Oceans & Coastlines – Our oceans and coasts are at the forefront of climate change impacts. Collaborating with partners on both coasts, we conducted flights to monitor and document King Tides, offering a preview of daily tide conditions with rising sea levels. Documenting areas of concern allows for community planners to protect valuable infrastructure and adapt future plans to the changing environment. Watersheds – In 2023, LightHawk flew many flights over our nation's waterways, with particular focus on The Colorado River. From the headwaters to the Colorado River Delta, LightHawk flights assisted partners and media in documenting the ongoing challenges to the river. Historic drought combined with increasing demand for its water are constant challenges to the river system, impacting communities, tribes and wildlife in multiple states and even across the border. Early in the year we released "Romeo November: A LightHawk Story" highlighting three conservation projects along the river. 
Climate Change – In addition to conducting flights along coastlines to monitor king tides, LightHawk flights cover a wide range of landscapes affected by climate change, like the Florida Everglades. Our partners in the region utilize LightHawk flights to document environmental changes after hurricanes and other climate related storms. This year we also conducted a flight to test the feasibility of monitoring airborne pollutants from a small plane. We are always looking for new ways to leverage aviation as a powerful tool to advance conservation efforts and save the Earth, one flight at a time. 
Looking Forward to 2024 As we push the throttle forward into 2024, we're excited about what's to come. Our endangered species transport work will expand in the new year. LightHawk partners depend on our volunteer pilots to move animals across the country for breeding or release into the wild. These flights have a direct impact on the survival and recovery of these species. Pilots interested in wildlife transport flights should reach out to LightHawk to ensure they are included on our list for these flight requests. We are particularly looking for pilots of aircraft with large cargo doors, capable of fitting larger animal crates. We are also working on plans to increase our activity along the Mississippi River. This is a big area of opportunity for us and one with significant conservation projects that could benefit from the power of flight. More details will emerge as we move further into the year, and we look forward to sharing these exciting developments with you. LightHawk is eager to bring its unique talents to one of the largest waterways in the country! We appreciate your ongoing support and partnership with LightHawk. Together, we are making a meaningful impact on conservation projects. As we approach 2024, we are poised to reach new heights and look forward to sharing our exciting adventures with you. LightHawk in the News
LightHawk Photo of the Month
Photo by Eric Lee A July LightHawk flight provided freelance photojournalist Eric Lee, working on behalf of Bloomberg News, the opportunity to photograph the Colorado River and its tributaries in Colorado and eastern Utah to document the state of the watershed for both current news stories and archival purposes. During the flight, he captured this stunning photo of the Colorado River watershed. Support LightHawk and make conservation fly! 
LightHawk's mission is as important today as it has ever been. Working with partners across the country, we're bringing the gift of aviation to conservation issues. Thanks to LightHawk and its community of volunteer pilots, our conservation partners are able to accomplish more, in less time - preserving important resources. Your gift lifts our wings and brings success to projects sooner. You can make conservation fly! |
