Wild Things 2025

Remote sensing is a valuable tool for assessing changes in environmental integrity and makeup of a region. In this study, I use Wadi Gaza as an example of an inaccessible area in which vegetation degradation and land cover change can still be assessed using this technology. Wadi Gaza is one of the most important coastal wetlands in the Eastern Mediterranean, as an area rich in biodiversity and a stopover for many migrating birds from Africa and Eurasia. It is already experiencing severe environmental degradation due to pollution and other factors, and the recent military activity could be accelerating these effects. I will use vegetation indexes and landcover classification to assess changes in habitat at several points in the growing seasons of 2023 and 2024. The methods used in this study can be applied here in the Midwest in hard-to-reach areas or areas inaccessible due to natural disasters. Further, Wadi Gaza is an example of a wetland of cultural significance and its integrity carries importance for agricultural outcomes as well as human health. Keeping these wider impacts in mind is an essential part of decision-making for environmental rehabilitation and conservation, both in the Midwest and beyond.