How Drones are Reforesting Canada Faster than You Think

Flash Forest drone planting trees. Credit: Flash Forest Inc.

As technology advances rapidly, it’s no surprise that society has begun to brainstorm ideas about the possibilities it can bring to solving the pressing issue of climate change. For British Columbia natives Cameron and Bryce Jones, their motivations originate from experiencing the Okanagan Moutain Park fire when they were only 13 and 14 years old. This 2003 fire destroyed their home, and the landscape is still impacted to this day. 

Seeing the horrors of climate change, together, they founded Flash Forest in 2019. Utilizing drones, the organization has set itself a hefty goal: Plant 1 billion trees by 2028. By utilizing drones, the Flash Forest team can respond swiftly to forest fires, often in scenarios where it is too dangerous to send humans to replant. They target mid-severe fires, where the damage is more extreme, and natural regeneration is less likely to happen. 

A Flash Forest drone operator is seen controlling a drone. Credit: Flash Forest Inc.

The way Flash Forest plants trees is fascinating. In what they call “Seed Pods”, scientifically crafted formulas containing different species of seeds, fertilizer, and other nutrients are mixed together. For effective planting, the team flies the drone over the tree canopy. When the planting sequence initiates, the drone shoots Seed Pods at a high speed so they are firmly planted in the soil. These drones can plant up to 5 pods per second, allowing Flash Forest to simply get more trees into the ground. 

According to an interview the Joneses conducted with Reasons To Be Cheerful, the company has made big moves since its launch and has even bigger plans for its future. Since its launch in 2021, Flash Forest has planted millions of trees and has partnered with the Canadian Government, First Nations communities, private landowners, and forestry companies. To try and hit the company’s goal of planting 1 billion trees by 2028, Flash Forests aims to rapidly scale its company in order to expand beyond Canada. They are keen on supporting reforestation and hope to deploy their technology to better our world. If you wish to support their journey, head to their website.

Citations:

Nonko, E. (2023, February 27). Seed-Planting Drones Are Reforesting Canada With Lightning Speed. Reasons to Be Cheerful. Retrieved March 31, 2024, from https://reasonstobecheerful.world/drone-tree-planting-reforesting-after-wildfires/#:~:text=For%20Flash%20Forest%20plantings%2C%20a,they%20embed%20into%20the%20soil

Conca, J. (2020, September 30). Drones Can Reforest The Planet Faster Than Humans Can. Forbes. Retrieved March 31, 2024, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2020/09/30/drones-can-reforest-the-planet-faster-than-humans-can/?sh=98edfde341f9Conca