logo
Canada turns to drones for reforestation after wildfires

Canada turns to drones for reforestation after wildfires

Time of India03-07-2025
This is an AI-generated image, used for representational purposes only
CHIBOUGAMAU: A large aerial drone flies over the charred remains of Canadian forests devastated by wildfires, bombarding the ground with seed capsules to accelerate reforestation.
This area of northern Quebec province was ravaged by megafires in the summer of 2023 and for the second year in a row a pilot project has been using drones to plant new black spruces and jack pines.
Rather than simply dropping seeds from high above, the company Flash Forest, which is leading the initiative, uses seeds protected in capsules that also contain water and nutrients, as well as fungi, to maximize their growing potential.
"There is a niche that's appropriate for drone reforestation which we've spent the last five years narrowing in on," Flash Forest cofounder Cameron Jones said.
The company focuses its efforts on forests that were scorched in the last year or two and excludes older burn sites that already have vegetation that can crowd out new seeds.
50,000 capsules per day
It is no longer feasible to wait for Canada's forests to bounce back all on their own with millions of hectares of forests destroyed each year.
In 2023, Canada experienced a record year of wildfires with blazes affecting every province, ultimately burning nearly 18 million hectares (44 million acres).
Quebec, and particularly this area in the north of the French-speaking province, was hit especially hard that year.
Drone operator and geospatial data scientist Owen Lucas said the method uses artificial intelligence to map out the sites ahead of time.
"Then we pick our sites based on climate variables, physical attributes, topographic variables, to make sure we're putting the seeds in the right place," he said, his eyes fixed on the drone's remote controls.
The company also has projects in another Canadian province, Alberta, and in Colorado in the United States. Each drone can deliver seeds to plant 50,000 trees per day.
"When you're out here planting you don't see the impact, but when you come back in the fall and you see them growing, you know you're doing a positive thing," Lucas said.
In 2023, like this year, which has already seen more than 4.2 million hectares burned across the country, megafires are being fueled by drought, which experts say is linked to global warming.
"It's sad to have lost so much forest," lamented Angel Mianscum, one of the indigenous leaders of a nearby Cree community.
She was, however, pleased to see there are now "innovative ways of doing things." The Cree community has worked directly with Flash Forest to plan the local reforestation.
I
ndigenous communities are the most affected by fires in Canada because they are often remote and deep in the boreal forest.
Seed shortage
"We are increasingly forced to reforest in Canada. Boreal forest trees are adapted to fires, but today the conditions are becoming more complicated," said Maxence Martin, professor of forest ecology at the University of Quebec in Abitibi-Temiscamingue.
He points out that in 2023, for example, very young forests burned.
"If the forest is too young, it will take a very long time to start regenerating, so planting is the only option."
While the use of drones can help reach certain areas more quickly, it also has its downsides: many seeds end up wasted.
"And today there is a seed problem because they are complicated to harvest," and therefore Canada is short of them, Martin said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Renault waiting for EV ecosystem to mature before making its entry, says India CEO
Renault waiting for EV ecosystem to mature before making its entry, says India CEO

Time of India

time10 hours ago

  • Time of India

Renault waiting for EV ecosystem to mature before making its entry, says India CEO

Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel French auto major Renault is looking for the EV ecosystem in India to mature before getting into the company also said it is expecting to complete the acquisition of Nissan stake in the Chennai manufacturing plant "very soon."Earlier, Renault rolled out the all-new, seven-seater Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) Triber at a starting price of Rs 6.29 lakh (ex-showroom)."We are doing our analysis. We are looking for the whole ecosystem to mature before we put the product in place," said Venkatram Mamillapalle, Managing Director at Renault India."Currently, what Renault India is looking for is the "maturity of the market, the regulation and the ecosystem. All three together," he said that the company is going to be there in multi-powertrain options, including electric, adding, "We will take an appropriate time to announce the launches, and one at a time. ""CNG and gasoline are already there. So we are talking about other energies. The endeavour to come to that level is very quick," he said."We have everything at arm's length, whether it's hybrid ethanol or EVs, everything is available with us, so we don't need to seek technology. It's in my kitchen. It's as and when the maturity happens, the market picks up because it's very important that there is a proper ecosystem for adaptability of a customer," he said."So, we are looking up for the market. We are waiting for the right moment," Mamillapally said the launch of all-new Kiger is the beginning of the company's plans of bringing four products in the next two years."But that is not just the end of the story again. It's a continuation of our lineup which will happen," he Renault has three offerings in its India portfolio - the MPV Triber, compact SUV Kiger and hatchback the April-June quarter of this fiscal. Renault India domestic sales declined 30 per cent at 7,729 units from 10,969 vehicles in the year-ago company's market shares currently stands at less than 1 per has set a target of having a 5 per cent market share in the world's third-largest car market by sales said that more than the market share, the company's first priority is to utilise the plant capacity that it has, with its partner, Nissan Group in March this year announced signing a Framework Agreement with Nissan for acquiring its 51 per cent stake in Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd (RNAIPL).On all new Triber, Mamillapalle said, "India remains a cornerstone of Renault's global strategy, driven by a strong product pipeline, expanding export operations, and a renewed focus on customer satisfaction."The new Triber is over 90 per cent localized, underscoring Renault's long-term commitment to the Indian market, he said.

Not just Renault and Tesla, 6 car brands ditched leather interiors; here's what they are using instead
Not just Renault and Tesla, 6 car brands ditched leather interiors; here's what they are using instead

Time of India

time16 hours ago

  • Time of India

Not just Renault and Tesla, 6 car brands ditched leather interiors; here's what they are using instead

A leading French car manufacturing brand, Renault, has pledged to completely eliminate animal leather interiors from all its vehicles by the end of this year. The move is most likely to be welcomed by the vegan community. According to the Daily Mail, the decision has been confirmed by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), who will see Renault ditch animal leather options from across its global car line-up in a few months. Moreover, it has already stopped offering leather seats and steering wheels to UK customers. One Billion Animals are Killed Annually for Leather The PETA report reveals that the global leather trade kills nearly one billion animals annually. It takes the hides of three cows or bulls to cover the interior of the standard-sized car. PETA's Vice President of Corporate Projects, Yvonne Taylor, said. "Renault is showing that true luxury doesn't come at the cost of animal welfare." The new Renault 5 E-tech Electric, Symbioz, and Rafale all feature seats that are made of eco-friendly fabrics. After talks with @PETA_France & @PETADeutschland, @renaultgroup pledged to ditch leather by the end of this year 🎉🐮We applaud this compassionate decision & can't wait to see their gorgeous leather-free interiors soon 👏🫶 Not just Renault, but other cars like Tesla and Porsche took part in the initiative According to PETA India, not only Renault but also prominent brands including Tesla, Porsche, and Volvo are also phasing out animal leather in favour of sustainable and cruelty-free alternatives. The shift is driven by growing consumer demand for ethical and eco-friendly vehicles. The report says that these companies are also offering 'vegan' or leather-free interiors, using materials like recycled plastics or polyester. Here's a look at some other brands and their initiatives: Tesla: Tesla is known for its all-electric lineup and has completely embraced vegan interiors by eliminating animal leather from all its models. Porsche: According to The New Indian Express, the brand is currently offering a leather-free interior option in its Taycan electric vehicle, marking a significant step towards sustainability. Volvo: Volvo is focusing on going leather-free across its entire range by 2030, utilising materials like Nordico that incorporate recycled plastics, cork, and other organic materials, reported ET. BMW: BMW's i3, an all-EV sedan, features all door panels and dashboards made from natural kenaf plant fibres and seat cloths made from 100 per cent recycled polyester. Mercedes-Benz: Mercedes-Benz also uses Artico, a synthetic vinyl-based leather material, in some of its vehicles. Fisker: This car also features a vegan interior made with recycled nets, T-shirts and rubber, as per PETA. Land Rover: While Land Rover uses a wool-polyester blend from Kvadrat in some of their vehicles. (Note: These brands are also offering vegan leather options for customers in a move to utilise synthetic materials like Sensatec and Artico.) FAQs Q. Which Renault models feature leather-free interiors? The Renault 5 E-Tech Electric, Symbioz, and Rafale are among the models featuring eco-friendly, leather-free interiors made from sustainable fabrics. Q. What are some of the most important aspects of the design? The automobile has a '5' on the bonnet that shows the vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) functionality, and the charge status (for techno trim and up).

What led Intellect Design's share to rise 3% in trade? Key details inside
What led Intellect Design's share to rise 3% in trade? Key details inside

Business Standard

time17 hours ago

  • Business Standard

What led Intellect Design's share to rise 3% in trade? Key details inside

Intellect Design Arena's share price rose today after the company announced a landmark deal with a Tier 1 Canadian multinational bank to support its global deposit growth strategy. SI Reporter New Delhi Intellect Design share price: Intellect Design share was in focus on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, with the stock rising up to 2.53 per cent to an intraday high of ₹1,204.50 per share. At 12:10 AM, Intellect Design share price continued to trade higher, up 1.40 per cent at ₹1,191.15. In comparison,. BSE Sensex was trading 0.40 per cent higher at 82,513.51 levels. What triggered the upward move in Intellect Design share price today? Intellect Design Arena's share price rose today after the company announced a landmark deal with a Tier 1 Canadian multinational bank to support its global deposit growth strategy. This marks the first deployment of Intellect's Core Banking platform in the United States, a major milestone that strengthens its presence in the North American market. The strategic engagement, which initially spans the bank's Corporate and Investment Banking business and is set to expand to Europe and Asia, follows a rigorous evaluation process involving leading global competitors. Intellect's cloud-native, microservices-based, and API-first platform will enable the bank to accelerate global expansion, offer AI-led personalised customer experiences, roll out innovations rapidly, and streamline operations with real-time processing and 24/7 availability. Additionally, the platform's composable architecture is expected to help reduce the bank's total cost of ownership. Manish Maakan, CEO of Intellect Wholesale Banking, said, 'This win is a defining moment for us. It represents the coming together of one of the world's most forward-looking banks and Intellect's most advanced core banking platform. Our entry into the U.S. core banking market reinforces the trust placed in our technology, our teams, and our ability to deliver at scale. What makes this engagement especially meaningful is the shared vision: a bold, composable approach to banking that breaks free from legacy constraints.' 'This is not just a technology replacement exercise, but a strategic move to reimagine how the bank grows deposits, scales globally, and serves clients in the digital age. We are honoured to be their partner of choice and deeply committed to making this a global success story. This also signals a broader shift – the rising relevance of deep-tech players from the East who are bringing agility, innovation, and execution certainty to the world's most respected banks,' he added. About Intellect Design Intellect Design Arena is a global leader in enterprise-grade financial technology, delivering intelligent and composable solutions to progressive financial institutions across 61 countries. Backed by three decades of deep domain expertise, the company's extensive product portfolio covers Wholesale and Consumer Banking, Central Banking, Wealth Management, Capital Markets, Treasury, Insurance, and Digital Commerce technologies. Driven by First Principles and Design Thinking, Intellect has deconstructed the financial services ecosystem into a defined set of Events, Microservices, and APIs, enabling institutions to accelerate modular digital transformation with tangible outcomes. At the core of its offerings are the world's most comprehensive and composable open finance platform; Purple Fabric, the first-of-its-kind Open Business Impact AI platform; and iTurmeric, a powerful composable platform for seamless integration and rapid configuration. Intellect is also a pioneer in applying Design Thinking to FinTech, as evidenced by its 8012 FinTech Design Centre – the world's first of its kind dedicated to this innovation-led approach. Serving over 500 clients globally, Intellect is powered by a diverse team of solution architects and domain experts based in key financial hubs around the world, driving the future of digital transformation in financial services.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store