Image credits: Bergadder/Pixabay
March 21 is observed as the International Day of Forests. The occasion was established after a resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly on November 28, 2012. The main objective of the International Day of Forests is to create awareness and celebrate the importance of all types of forests for the benefit of current and future generations.
As a part of the initiative, countries are encouraged to organise various activities involving trees and forests, such as tree planting campaigns and more. According to the UN, around 1.6B people depend directly on forests for food, shelter, energy, medicines, and income. Also, forests are home to about 80 per cent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, and more than 60,000 tree species.
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The UN also says that the world is losing 10M hectares of forest each year, about the size of Iceland. With rapid increase in global warming, the focus has recently shifted towards encouraging greener practices.
Here is a list of six Amsterdam-based startups that are working day and night to protect forests using various technologies. Do take a look.
Overstory
Founder/s: Indra den Bakker
Overstory is a global vegetation intelligence platform. The Amsterdam-based company applies Artificial Intelligence (AI) to high-resolution satellite imagery to provide real-time analytics of natural resources.
The Dutch company’s solution helps forest industry companies, electric utility companies, and NGOs to improve decision-making with timely and accurate insights into natural resources.
The company’s platform provides minute details, including the location, height, health, and species of trees. It then alerts customers on where the riskiest trees are and those that needs to be cut down.
TreeTracker
Founder/s: Sobolt, Bomenwacht
Tree Tracker provides accurate and smart automated tree information to make better decisions on tree management. The Amsterdam company uses mobile mapping data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect urban trees in a completely automated way.
Land Life Company
Founder/s: Jurriaan Ruys, Eduard Zanen
Land Life Company is an Amsterdam-based nature reforestation venture that plants trees at scale, offering corporations and organisations a sustainable way to take climate action and compensate carbon emissions through nature restoration.
The company aims to restore 2B hectares of degraded land in the world. The Dutch company applies data and technology, such as drones, artificial intelligence and monitoring applications, to every step of the planting process.
Regreener
Founder/s: Job van Hooijdonk and Bernard de Wit
Regreener aims to restore ecosystems in an impactful and transparent way. The company plants trees and supports certified carbon offsetting projects on behalf of its users.
At present, the company plants trees together with its partners Eden Reforestation Projects and WeForest in Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia.
By offering subscriptions and one-off contributions to individuals and companies, Regreener has created a complete platform to plant trees and fund CO2-reducing initiatives.
EarthToday
Founder/s: NA
Based out of Amsterdam, EarthToday is on a mission to increase awareness of the planet’s current state and accelerate its protection at scale. The company connects brands, individuals, and nature protection organisations to collaborate and protect nature.
According to the company, individuals can protect square metres of nature for €1.20 per m² and receive a unique proof of protection registered in their name. Then, brands can use the protected m² of nature as a purpose-driven reward for their customers and partners, says the company.
Green City Watch
Founder/s: Dr. Nadina Galle, Chris Van Diemen, Jim Groot
Green City Watch is an Amsterdam company that uses an open-source software, TreeTact, to obtain information on the numbers and health of urban trees and tree canopy, enabling users to create an AI-enabled digital tree inventory.
With its platform, Green City Watch can provide insights into the health and wellbeing of urban greenery as well as identify where the most impact can be achieved when constructing new green spaces.
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