“Nature tech" is, appropriately enough, a growing industry. An umbrella term for the application of modern technologies to help us monitor, manage and conserve nature, it’s become increasingly crucial as environmental crises accelerate around us.”
“Having the hard labor done by a drone accelerates the pace of reforestation by at least 10 times over having humans alone do the work. And two humans could potentially direct 10 of these drones, so the pace can be geometrically accelerated.”
“In a bid to restore forests and fight climate change, Canadian startup Flash Forest aims to plant 1 billion trees by 2028, using drones and aerial mapping.”
“More broadly, we pointed to the emergence of a ‘New North,’ a collection of geographies such as the Great Lakes region and Scandinavia that are making significant investments in renewable energy, food production and economic diversification.”
They have already managed to plant several thousand trees across Ontario and Canada. Dwight Drummond caught up with one of their co-founders to talk about how it works.”
“Flash Forest has run some of its most successful pilots in the pliable, eager soil of fire-ravaged sites using a proprietary combination of automation, aerial-mapping software and meticulously engineered seed pods that regenerate ecosystems—and fast.”
“Two of the 16 ventures in Earth Tech include Flash Forest, a Canadian drone reforestation company that allows drones to germinate tree seeds, and Water Rangers, an open-data platform that provides water test kits to empower others to protect freshwater.”
“Founded in 2019, Flash Forest creates seedpods — a concoction that includes seeds, fertilizer, mycorrhizae, and ‘everything that we can think of that will help promote germination and resilience,’ according to Jones.”
“While many think of drones as a toy or, in battle, a lethally precise military tool, Flash Forest has gone a new route: It’s deploying drones to nourish life.”
"Their ambitious program comes at a time when climate change, and related issues like deforestation, are considered among the most important of our time.”
Flash Forest’s technology not only helps make tree planting more efficient, it also makes it easier to plant trees in difficult to reach areas and dangerous environments.”
"Their technology maps out the best planting locations in an area with an average planting density of 1,000 to 2,000 trees per hectare. By working with local NGOs, scientists and experts, they make sure to only plant natural species with high sequestration rates.”
“A Canadian startup named Flash Forest is using drones to plant thousands of trees a month as a way to combat deforestation caused by logging, fires and animal agriculture.”
“Because the company chooses native species and uses its seed pods to protect the seeds from drought, the process doesn’t typically require work from humans to keep the seedlings alive.”
“With the effects of climate change becoming more apparent and more dangerous every day, a Canadian company has stepped up with plans to use drones to plant more than one billion trees by 2028.”
