New Tree Tech: Cutting-edge drones give reforestation a helping hand

For two decades, the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds has restored native trees on ​​São Miguel Island to increase the food and nesting habitat available for the Azores bullfinch. As a result, the population of the bird increased enough to be downlisted from critically endangered to vulnerable.

The Palmer amaranth weed improves the health of disturbed soils like agricultural fields. Throughout its lifecycle, the plant’s deep roots loosen the compacted soil, bring nutrients to the surface and utilize excess nitrogen in the soil.

As the small island nation of Vanuatu emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of a tropical cyclone, entrepreneur Votausi Lucyann Mackenzie-Reur argues that they need to focus on local ingredients to be able to respond to future crises. Oxfam is also doing work in this region by using blockchain technology to improve food purchasing power for people affected by disasters. “Food security, climate change, and biodiversity can all be tackled by promoting and advocating the use of local traditional foods,” says Mackenzie-Reur.

Replanting and replenishing damaged ecosystems is crucial to mitigating further adverse effects of climate change. From the forests of the American Pacific Northwest, to the coral reefs around the globe, startups and scientists are working to increase the resilience of natural systems. DroneSeed, in Seattle, WA, leverages drone technology to increase reforestation efforts. Meanwhile, biologists in Thailand are working to cultivate hardy corals.

Biomimicry is defined as finding "solutions to man-made problems with designs inspired by the natural world," and some scientists think it could be at least part of the solution to climate change problems. From recycling carbon dioxide to helping reforestation efforts in Brazil, piloting efforts are currently taking place worldwide.

Villages along the Irrawaddy River delta in Myanmar have spent years replanting mangroves in at attempt to restore their ecosystem and guard against the negative effects of climate change, but it is a labor intensive and time-consuming process. Now, with the help of specially-designed tree planting drones from startup BioCarbon Engineering, as many as 10,000 trees can be planted in a single day, using technology that not only distributes seeds in special pods, but is able to calculate optimal soil conditions, locations, and species of tree most likely to survive in any given area.

KRAPAVIS has restored 249 sacred groves in Rajasthan through a community-led model where villages share restoration costs and appoint local custodians. They've successfully reviving water sources, wells, and biodiversity while securing a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that protects these community-conserved ecosystems across India.

The Wall of Trees initiative in Nigeria's Makoda village created a four-tiered barrier of windbreak, orchard, woodlot, and economic trees that tripled crop yields and provided income opportunities for 200 women, successfully reversing desertification on 15 hectares over two decades.

Shared electric cargo bike programs like CargoB and Re:Ciclos offer affordable, sustainable transportation alternatives that can significantly reduce urban car dependency; however, their long-term success hinges on overcoming infrastructure, cultural, and economic barriers.

The Zipline drone system helps deliver life-saving medical supplies, such as blood and antivenom, to areas in the country that are hard to reach due to issues with the terrain, infrastructure or extreme weather. Since launching, Zipline has made more than one million deliveries.