Minto Village Council Partners with T3 Alaska
Minto Village Council partnered with the T3 Alaska/Upward Bound program to provide students the opportunity to advance their STEM skills and develop valuable tools for the community. The council gained a comprehensive view on three problems the community is facing: a logjam blocking river navigation, an outdated community map, and options to safely expand the landfill. In response to the community’s needs, T3 Alaska students developed a series of digital and analog maps utilizing RTK4 drones and Arc GIS modeling software and presented their deliverables to the Minto Village Council. Council members were very receptive to the students and impressed by the progress over just a few short weeks.
Solid Waste Landfill
Minto community landfill is running out of space and they need to find safe ways to expand it. To tackle this problem, T3 Alaska students used photogrammetry to create 2D and 3D models of the dump and surrounding land. Photogrammetry involves taking overlapping photos from different angles and using computer software to stitch them into interactive ArcGIS modeling maps. The maps will help tribal leaders plan for a sustainable expansion while protecting their ground water.
Town Map
Minto official community map was outdated and inaccurate, making it hard for leaders to make informed decisions on resource utilization. To address this, students used drones to capture current images of the roads, buildings and other landmarks. They used software to create a new, accurate map and compared data points with the existing markers to ensure zero information loss. Minto Village Council members were amazed when presented the detailed rendering and appreciated having the accurate map to make good decisions in the future.
Log Jam
Until fairly recently, the nearby Tolovana River was used by community members for transportation and sustenance food gathering. Unfortunately, a major log jam stopped community members from navigating the river. Due to the inaccessibility, it was difficult for the council to understand the scale of the build-up. Village leaders needed more information on the scope in order to develop a feasible plan to remove the jam. In response, students used drones to fly over the log jam and take images which provided contextual information, such as how much river is blocked, the size and depth of the logs, and the effects on shoreline and river behavior. They stitched the photos together into a manipulatable 3D image of the river which the council can use to plan how to address the jam and restore river access.
The support and warmth from the Minto community have been incredible. By partnering together, T3 Alaska was able to instill in the students core values to give back to Alaskan communities. T3 Alaska is thankful to have strong support from Minto Elders Irene Sherry and Eliza Winfrey who work alongside students, share their knowledge and encouraged them to continue with the opportunities that T3 Alaska can provide. We look forward to the growing partnership with Minto Village Council and community members.
