ForestTECH | New Zealand Programme
14-15 November 2023, NEW ZEALAND
Pre-Conference Workshop | Mon 13 Nov 2023
1.00 - 5.00pm
Remote Sensing Cluster Group meeting
Topics to date include use of terrestrial LiDAR to more accurately characterise trees; prediction of red needle cast in a bad year; deep learning prediction of tree dimensions using synthetic datasets; mapping of cyclone impacts; and an overview describing the pros and cons of different types of satellite imagery within the forestry industry.
Venue: Totara Room, Rydges hotel, Rotorua [View Agenda]
Pre-Conference Workshop | Tue 14 Nov 2023
11.00 - 12.00pm
Advances in forest management planning and operations efficiency
The latest developments in CFForest, a spatially-enabled operations management system developed for Forest Owners. Trimble Forestry has been working on driving efficiency of workflows and features designed to increase the operational efficiency of forestry staff.
Dan Turkington, Regional Director APAC, Trimble Forestry
11.30am
Registration & Exhibits Open
12.00pm
Lunch & Networking
Conference | DAY ONE
Key Theme: Remote Sensing, Data Capture & Forest Inventory
1.00pm
Opening Introductions
FIEA
1.10 pm
Artificial Intelligence: Is the world at a tipping point?
Opportunities, benefits and challenges of the technology and its adoption
Matt Lythe, Managing Director, Lynker Analytics (Workstream Lead, AI Forum NZ)
1.40pm
Pre-assessment thinning inventory Using drone-based LiDAR
A forest industry case study. First operational use piloted in 2022 and then again in 2023
Sam West, Senior GIS Analyst, Interpine Group & Scott Andrew, Forest Risk & Resource Manager, Juken New Zealand
2.00pm
Australasian designed and built solar-powered stratospheric aircraft
A game-changer for collecting frequent, high-resolution aerial data
Mark Rocket, CEO, Kea Aerospace
2.20pm
High-value, low-cost satellite imagery options for AU/NZ foresters
Steve Critchlow, Group Managing Director, Critchlow Geospatial
2.40pm
Forest change and climate change
Keeping a constant eye on your forest for fast assessment and recovery from fire, storm or disease
Albrecht von Ruffer, Managing Director, Skylab, Germany (pre-recorded) & Hamish MacPherson, Business Improvement Manager, PF Olsen
3.00pm
Afternoon tea & networking
3.30pm
Exploring the potential to link satellite and ground-based data for improved fuel load and moisture mapping, modelling, and monitoring
Mike Sutton, Manager, Innovation & Research, Forestry Corporation of NSW, Australia
3.50pm
The smart forest project
Opportunities for using one of the largest datasets for high-resolution landcover mapping - a digital twin of New Zealand’s productive forest estate at national scale
Nicolò Camarretta, Remote Sensing Scientist, Scion
4.10pm
Operational use of drone-based lidar for pre-harvest inventory for eucalyptus plantations
A forest industry case study with trials being operationalised early in 2023.
Perry Han, Forest Engineer and Remote Sensing Analyst, Interpine Group & Lawrie Scott, Forest Resource Manager, Oji Fibre Solutions
4.30pm
Student Competition
Developing UAV Tree Survival Count Standard Operating Procedures
Robin Hartley, Autonomous Systems Scientist, Scion & Students; Blake Singleton, BForSc Student, University of Canterbury & Jake Emmens, Forest Management Diploma Student, Toi Ohomai & Whanarua Edmonds, Forest Management Diploma Student, Toi Ohomai. Project funded by FGR
Kindly Sponsored by:
Kindly Sponsored by:
5.00pm
Technology Showcase
5.15pm
Refreshments & networking social event
Kindly Sponsored by: 
Conference | DAY TWO | Wed 15 Nov 2023
Key Theme: Tree Crop Management, Forest Establishment and Mechanised Planting
8.15am
Introduction
FIEA
8.20am
Can a vertical farm improve tree seedling production?
Results from one of the first larger forest operations using this new system to grow its tree stocks
Kenny Hay, Tree Nursery & Seed Resource Manager,
Forestry and Land Scotland, Scotland (remote)
8.40am
Transformational nursery technologies?
Opportunities for Vertical Farm Grown Tree Seedlings
Caroline Craggs, Head of Operations APAC, Intelligent Growth Solutions, Singapore
9.00am
Using single tree location inventory to improve the quality & productivity of mechanised thinning operations
Forestry data collected using smartphones and drones. Results from an 8,000ha pine thinning operation by a large Chilean forest company
Anton Holmström, Director of Forestry, Katam Technologies AB, Sweden
9.30am
Mechanised tree pruning
Initial results from a feasibility study on a commercially available remote-controlled and high-rate tree pruning unit to create fuel modified zones in softwood plantations
Braden Jenkin, Managing Director, Sylva Systems, Australia (remote)
10.00am
Technology Showcase
10.10am
Morning tea & networking
10.40am
A first in Australia. Two planting seasons with a fully mechanised planting operation.
Results, lessons and payback - from a forest owner’s and contractor’s perspective
Paul Walpole, Director, SSEF Pty Ltd & Paul Wood, Northern Silviculture Manager, HVP, Australia (remote)
11.10am
A new concept in mechanised planting. Sweden, USA, Canada, Brazil and now NZ
Lessons from early plantings by Pan Pac Forest Products with the PlantMax X2 planting unit
Richard Airey, Forester, Pan Pac Forest Products
11.40am
FGR’s industry led precision silviculture programme
Progress, results and planned future activities
Claire Stewart, Manager- Precision Silviculture Programme, Forest Growers Research
12.00pm
Conference Concludes
Post-Conference Workshop
1.00 - 5.00pm
Tools for Foresters Workshop. Survival Surveys/ESRI Deep Learning ToolSet
The Tools for Foresters initiative will host another workshop helping to disseminate information on new technology for the forest industry. The session will begin by unpacking the SOPs developed by the students in collaboration with Tools for Foresters as part of FGR's Precision Silviculture Programme. Then Scion and Eagle Technology will host an interactive session on how to use the ESRI deep learning toolset within ArcGIS Pro, helping delegates get up to speed with the use of these tools, which will be supercharged by Scion and FGR's Deep Learning Shared Data Sets programme. Delegates can bring a laptop if they want to work along with the demo, or can simply watch the live demo by the instructors.
ForestTECH | New Zealand Programme
14-15 November 2023, NEW ZEALAND
Pre-Conference Workshop | Mon 13 Nov 2023
1.00 - 5.00pm
Remote Sensing Cluster Group meeting
Topics to date include use of terrestrial LiDAR to more accurately characterise trees; prediction of red needle cast in a bad year; deep learning prediction of tree dimensions using synthetic datasets; mapping of cyclone impacts; and an overview describing the pros and cons of different types of satellite imagery within the forestry industry.
Venue: Totara Room, Rydges hotel, Rotorua [View Agenda]
Pre-Conference Workshop | Tue 14 Nov 2023
11.00 - 12.00pm
Advances in forest management planning and operations efficiency
The latest developments in CFForest, a spatially-enabled operations management system developed for Forest Owners. Trimble Forestry has been working on driving efficiency of workflows and features designed to increase the operational efficiency of forestry staff.
Dan Turkington, Regional Director APAC, Trimble Forestry
11.30am
Registration & Exhibits Open
12.00pm
Lunch & Networking
Conference | DAY ONE
Key Theme: Remote Sensing, Data Capture & Forest Inventory
1.00pm
Opening Introductions
FIEA
1.10 pm
Artificial Intelligence: Is the world at a tipping point?
Opportunities, benefits and challenges of the technology and its adoption
Matt Lythe, Managing Director, Lynker Analytics (Workstream Lead, AI Forum NZ)
1.40pm
Pre-assessment thinning inventory Using drone-based LiDAR
A forest industry case study. First operational use piloted in 2022 and then again in 2023
Sam West, Senior GIS Analyst, Interpine Group & Scott Andrew, Forest Risk & Resource Manager, Juken New Zealand
2.00pm
Australasian designed and built solar-powered stratospheric aircraft
A game-changer for collecting frequent, high-resolution aerial data
Mark Rocket, CEO, Kea Aerospace
2.20pm
High-value, low-cost satellite imagery options for AU/NZ foresters
Steve Critchlow, Group Managing Director, Critchlow Geospatial
2.40pm
Forest change and climate change
Keeping a constant eye on your forest for fast assessment and recovery from fire, storm or disease
Albrecht von Ruffer, Managing Director, Skylab, Germany (pre-recorded) & Hamish MacPherson, Business Improvement Manager, PF Olsen
3.00pm
Afternoon tea & networking
3.30pm
Exploring the potential to link satellite and ground-based data for improved fuel load and moisture mapping, modelling, and monitoring
Mike Sutton, Manager, Innovation & Research, Forestry Corporation of NSW, Australia
3.50pm
The smart forest project
Opportunities for using one of the largest datasets for high-resolution landcover mapping - a digital twin of New Zealand’s productive forest estate at national scale
Nicolò Camarretta, Remote Sensing Scientist, Scion
4.10pm
Operational use of drone-based lidar for pre-harvest inventory for eucalyptus plantations
A forest industry case study with trials being operationalised early in 2023.
Perry Han, Forest Engineer and Remote Sensing Analyst, Interpine Group & Lawrie Scott, Forest Resource Manager, Oji Fibre Solutions
4.30pm
Student Competition
Developing UAV Tree Survival Count Standard Operating Procedures
Robin Hartley, Autonomous Systems Scientist, Scion & Students; Blake Singleton, BForSc Student, University of Canterbury & Jake Emmens, Forest Management Diploma Student, Toi Ohomai & Whanarua Edmonds, Forest Management Diploma Student, Toi Ohomai. Project funded by FGR
Kindly Sponsored by:
Kindly Sponsored by:
5.00pm
Technology Showcase
5.15pm
Refreshments & networking social event
Kindly Sponsored by:
Conference | DAY TWO | Wed 15 Nov 2023
Key Theme: Tree Crop Management, Forest Establishment and Mechanised Planting
8.15am
Introduction
FIEA
8.20am
Can a vertical farm improve tree seedling production?
Results from one of the first larger forest operations using this new system to grow its tree stocks
Kenny Hay, Tree Nursery & Seed Resource Manager,
Forestry and Land Scotland, Scotland (remote)
8.40am
Transformational nursery technologies?
Opportunities for Vertical Farm Grown Tree Seedlings
Caroline Craggs, Head of Operations APAC, Intelligent Growth Solutions, Singapore
9.00am
Using single tree location inventory to improve the quality & productivity of mechanised thinning operations
Forestry data collected using smartphones and drones. Results from an 8,000ha pine thinning operation by a large Chilean forest company
Anton Holmström, Director of Forestry, Katam Technologies AB, Sweden
9.30am
Mechanised tree pruning
Initial results from a feasibility study on a commercially available remote-controlled and high-rate tree pruning unit to create fuel modified zones in softwood plantations
Braden Jenkin, Managing Director, Sylva Systems, Australia (remote)
10.00am
Technology Showcase
10.10am
Morning tea & networking
10.40am
A first in Australia. Two planting seasons with a fully mechanised planting operation.
Results, lessons and payback - from a forest owner’s and contractor’s perspective
Paul Walpole, Director, SSEF Pty Ltd & Paul Wood, Northern Silviculture Manager, HVP, Australia (remote)
11.10am
A new concept in mechanised planting. Sweden, USA, Canada, Brazil and now NZ
Lessons from early plantings by Pan Pac Forest Products with the PlantMax X2 planting unit
Richard Airey, Forester, Pan Pac Forest Products
11.40am
FGR’s industry led precision silviculture programme
Progress, results and planned future activities
Claire Stewart, Manager- Precision Silviculture Programme, Forest Growers Research
12.00pm
Conference Concludes
Post-Conference Workshop
1.00 - 5.00pm
Tools for Foresters Workshop. Survival Surveys/ESRI Deep Learning ToolSet
The Tools for Foresters initiative will host another workshop helping to disseminate information on new technology for the forest industry. The session will begin by unpacking the SOPs developed by the students in collaboration with Tools for Foresters as part of FGR's Precision Silviculture Programme. Then Scion and Eagle Technology will host an interactive session on how to use the ESRI deep learning toolset within ArcGIS Pro, helping delegates get up to speed with the use of these tools, which will be supercharged by Scion and FGR's Deep Learning Shared Data Sets programme. Delegates can bring a laptop if they want to work along with the demo, or can simply watch the live demo by the instructors.