The Two Tree Planting Drones Planting 10,000 Trees a Day

Nicole Arnott — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 06:54:16 +0000

There’s no denying that drones have risen in popularity recently. From your aunt, to your neighbor’s dog, it seems like everyone’s upping their aerial selfie game. But, a drone’s capabilities go way beyond flawless Go-Pro vacation videos. We’ve already seen package delivery drones, and even firefighting drones, but did you know that there are drones that can plant trees, too? Yup, check out these tree planting drones who’re helping to reduce deforestation by planting 10,000 trees per day.

BioCarbon Engineering: Tree Planting Drones

The tree planting drones were created by BioCarbon Engineering; a meaningful start up with big ambitions. They saw the damage that deforestation was doing to the planet, with 26 billion trees being cut down each year. Paired with the unsustainable costs that go hand in hand with reforestation, they knew that a solution had to be made.

And, that’s why BioCarbon Engineering was created.

Traditional ways of replanting trees are either done by hand-planting or delivering dry seeds by air. But, these methods are both slow and expensive. The tree planting drones operate at lightning speed and are cost-effective, too.

How Tree Planting Drones Change Everything

In addition to being able to plant 10s of thousands of trees per day at the cost of traditional tree planting methods, they can also provide invaluable intelligence related to planting patterns and landscape design.

Tree Planting Drones: How the Technology Works

Two drones work together to plant trees at astonishing speeds. The first drone flies out to scan the landscape and create a 3D map with areas for planting. The second drone then follows, throwing biodegradable seed pods into the marked planting spots.

Because of this smart technology, it’s also possible for the drones to plant trees in areas that are too difficult for humans to reach. Each pair of drones can plant up to 1 billion trees per year.

BioCarbon Engineering Achievements so Far

The company’s biggest achievement to date has been planting the world’s first ever Mangrove forest by drone in Myanmar. The previously degraded Myanmar mangroves help protect highly vulnerable communities, as well as fish, birds, and wildlife, making them a vital part of the country’s landscape.

The Verdict?

So, what do you think about tree planting drones? Could this be the solution to global emissions or just another job being filled by robots? As always, we want to hear what you think so, leave us a comment and let us know!