There’s something deeply humbling about holding a small coin in your hand and realizing the weight it carries. Recently, The Big Bad Project was honored to receive a USDA Challenge Coin as a token of appreciation for our support of ongoing drone hazing research through our Aerial Allies initiative.
Challenge coins are traditionally given within military and government circles as a way to recognize service, contribution, or commitment to a shared mission. We didn’t expect it, and we didn’t do the work for recognition, but holding that coin felt like a nod to the partnerships, persistence, and purpose that drive this initiative.
This coin symbolizes what Aerial Allies is really about: collaboration. We’re not the ones in the field running the research, but we’re proud to be part of the effort that makes it possible. By helping fund and amplify this work, we get to be a small part of something bigger, something that could help shift the way people and predators coexist in shared landscapes.
Not every solution to predator-livestock conflict makes headlines, but some quietly change what’s possible. Aerial Allies is about supporting those solutions. When we first learned about the USDA’s drone hazing research, we saw more than just innovation, we saw an opportunity to contribute to something practical, humane, and grounded in real-world needs. This project stood out not only for its scientific foundation, but for its potential to offer scalable, non-lethal solutions to predator-livestock conflict that too often go underfunded or overlooked.
Our decision to help fund this work came from a desire to move the conversation around coexistence forward, not through debate, but through action. We believe that when thoughtful research is paired with public visibility and field-tested application, real change becomes possible. We may not be flying the drones or gathering the data, but our role is to make sure the work is seen, understood, and supported by a broader community. Coexistence isn’t a catchphrase, it’s a process. And we’re proud to help make space for it to happen.
We’re deeply grateful to Dustin, Paul, Lori, and the entire team for not only welcoming us into this work, but for reminding us that our support truly matters.
