A Farewell to Fieldwork
By James Tricker, July 12th, 2024 With MLP fieldwork underway in the mountains this summer, one long-time crew member is (very reluctantly) sitting this season out to instead focus on writing up his dissertation (one last mountain, James). Here, he...
PART 2 – Trying to see the Forest for the Trees: Testing Machine Learning Models on Mountain Legacy Project Images
In part 1 of this series, I discussed the motivation for using machine learning to classify land cover types in Mountain Legacy Project (MLP) images and described convolutional neural networks (CNNs), the technology we use to implement automated classification. This follow-up article tackles some challenges in applying this technology to MLP images and what specific implementations of CNNs we are testing to work toward an optimal solution.
PART 1 – Patterns, Pixels, and Programming: Applying Deep Learning to Mountain Legacy Project Images
Ben Wright, March 21st 2024 This is the first of a two-part series describing the work Aniket Mahindrakar and I have been conducting as research assistants for the Mountain Legacy Project (MLP). For several years now the MLP has been utilizing machine-learning to...
Bison, Reindeer, and Unicorns: Rewilding’s Wild Ride
By Alina Fisher I felt so confused. Not only was I driving on the wrong side of the road, but I also spied a unicorn ahead of me in the valley. I could barely believe my eyes. We were travelling along a narrow gravel road aside the River Freshie. As it wound towards...
Cards For That Special Mountaineer in Your Life
By Kate Fryer Unable to find the perfect card for that mountaineer in your life? Well lovers, we have just the thing! Choose from a fine selection of historic MLP images courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, modern repeats, and even a sneak peak of our ongoing...
Vertical Laboratories: Mountains of Science, Wonder and Devotion
By Sarah Jacobs Generations of scientists, adventurers and poets have found solace and wisdom in mountain places. This essay follows connections between their pursuits to argue that scientific knowledge derives more from risk, wonderment and devotion than is often...
New Publication! Assessing the accuracy of georeferenced landcover data derived from oblique imagery using machine learning.
We are thrilled to announce the latest Mountain Legacy Project research article led by James Tricker: Assessing the accuracy of georeferenced landcover data derived from oblique imagery using machine learning. Published in Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation,...
10 Questions for the New Year
Kate Fryer and Sonia Voicescu, January 9th 2024 As we enter the New Year, we wish to unveil a brand new series to the blog that introduces you, dear reader, to the faces of the Mountain Legacy Project: "10 Questions." From postdoctoral fellows to research assistants,...
Planning for Uncertainty: The Ups and Downs of the 2023 Field Season
By Claire Wright Plagued by heat, smoke, rain and strong winds, the 2023 MLP field season almost didn’t happen. It was late August when the monotony of waiting for improved conditions finally broke and a whirlwind of activity led to a surprisingly productive spell of...
Celebrating International Mountain Day 2023: Restoring Mountain Ecosystems
Eric Higgs, December 11th, 2023 At the Mountain Legacy Project we are raising an even louder cheer this year to mark the 2023 theme of International Mountain Day: restoring mountain ecosystems. The MLP traces its origin to ecosystem restoration, which continues...