On the Google Earth Heroes webpage, short videos document how people and organizations are using Google Earth to, for example, coordinate firefighting efforts in California, help the Mars Rovers navigate Mars’ treacherous terrain, map Borneo’s deforestation and promote conservation, and educate the public and government on the disastrous effects of mountaintop removal in Appalachia.
A combination of bitter drought and increased poaching for ivory is putting pressure on Africa’s elephant population. The organization Save the Elephants is using Google Earth to track the movements of individual elephants. If an elephant stops moving, the Save the Elephants team can send a Google Earth file with its exact position and can locate—and potentially rescue—the animal.
Says Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Founder of Save the Elephants, “We’re at a crucial stage now where we can act and help management to make wise decisions using the information we’re getting through the tracking and display by Google Earth.”