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R&D solution to tackle plastic waste for nurseries

In Issue63 by FIEALeave a Comment

Scion scientists have been instrumental in developing and testing biodegradable nursery pots that will help nurseries and Kiwi gardeners to reduce plastic waste and its impact on the environment. The biodegradable pots, made from biopolymers and a biofiller, will offer an alternative to the estimated 350 million plants in pots produced by New Zealand nurseries each year. Manufacturing of the …

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Vertical farm trees growing six times faster

In Issue63 by FIEALeave a Comment

Tree seedlings are being grown six times faster in a vertical farm compared to traditional outdoor sowing, in the first UK trials of their kind. Growing 40-50cm tall in just 90 days – something that in a field would take up to 18 months – the tree trials could potentially transform the forestry sector and help UK to meet its …

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A journey into the new reality

In Issue63 by FIEALeave a Comment

Impressions from HxGN Live Global 2022 In which direction is the geospatial industry heading? Which core activities will companies focus on? How will the rapidly progressing technological advances shape the future? The recent edition of HxGN Live Global in Las Vegas formed an important hub for professionals who wanted to get a clear picture of what lies ahead in the …

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How digital innovation has accelerated forest monitoring

In Issue63 by FIEALeave a Comment

The way that we monitor the world’s forests has changed dramatically in recent years. Fifteen years ago, many countries still made maps and recorded information about their forests and land manually on paper. Forest monitoring involved considerable investment for developing countries, often through an initial international assistance project. Special facilities were needed to house powerful computers, digitizing boards, scanners and …

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Environmental Monitoring – remote sensing review

In Issue63 by FIEALeave a Comment

Remote sensing data is often applied to assist with environmental monitoring. However, the pace of development makes it challenging to decipher if the new sensor or technique can be used successfully beyond a small study area. A key requirement of many agencies is to monitor or report progress against environmental baselines and assist with the prioritisation of monitoring efforts. This …

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Treemetrics signs €1.2m contract with ESA

In Issue63 by FIEALeave a Comment

Cork-headquartered Treemetrics, a forestry management software firm, will play a key role in a new project to provide more accurate forest carbon credit estimates to the European Space Agency (ESA). Treemetrics, which was founded in 2005 by Enda Kane and Garret Mullooly, has developed new technology to replace traditional forestry methods. Under a new two-year, €1.2 million contract with the …

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The weed-mapping drone that goes the extra mile

In Issue63 by FIEALeave a Comment

The Single family have been farming their broadacre cropping property near Coonamble, in New South Wales, for close to 70 years and third generation farmer Ben Single says there has always been a special focus on the environment. One of the key areas of attention in the past 30 years for Ben and his father, John, has been trialling different …

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New marketplace for satellite imagery

In Issue63 by FIEALeave a Comment

Critchlow Geospatial has announced the launch of New Zealand’s first satellite imagery marketplace. Recent advances in optics, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, machine learning and cloud computing mean that satellite imagery (and its ever-growing catalogue of derived data) is now more powerful and accessible than ever before. Today’s satellite imagery is not just high-resolution optical imagery either, it now includes multi …