Emerging drone technology has opened new doors in plant research. UCSB ecologists Dr. Carla D’Antonio and Dr. Ryoko Oono saw the opportunity to use drones to acquire plant samples from previously inaccessible areas such as the tops of trees or plants down in the valleys. Custom assemblies were created for the 3DR X8+ octocopter to allow the drone to collect plant samples. An arm with a circular saw is attached to the drone. With this, a new joint was created to allow for limited movement of the arm as well as to restrict the orientation of the saw. Safety was a high priority with such a system. A new saw guard was created that covers the entire saw blade when not in use. Additionally, a new camera system was integrated to allow the pilot to see where they are flying and to survey the area of cut.