These Drones Can Plant 100,000 New Trees per Day
It is a known fact that trees are an essential part of human life on this planet. A lesser known fact is that trees are also vital carbon sinks – meaning that they absorb carbon dioxide, preventing these gases from clogging up our atmosphere and causing what is commonly referred to as the greenhouse effect.
In an effort to replant forests that have suffered massive deforestation, a host of technologies and concepts have been deployed, the newest one being drones that are launched to spray seed fields from the sky.
The technique is called spray seeding or aerial reforestation, and involves a plane or drone dropping thousands of “seed bombs”. These seeds bombs are balls of clay and earth packed with seeds inside.
Once they hit the ground, the seeds sprout and over time grow into a beautiful and lush forest. This method is particularly ecological because a variety of seeds can be packed into a single ball, allowing scientists to identify which species naturaly tend to grow in a specific area (without human intervention).
In 2016, the Thai government began launching a 5-year pilot spray seeding campaign to replant a wildlife sanctuary in the Phitsanulok province using the aerial reforestation technique.
Several new companies are furthering this concept by developing drones that will spray seed massive plots of land. BioCarbon Engineering, a UK-based start-up, is one of these companies. They say their technology will be able to plant up to 1 billion seeds per day!
With the help of ingenious technologies such as these, we are sure to find a solution to tackle global deforestation and ensure a green future for our planet.
