ICUBE startup Flash Forest secures federal funds to boost reforestation efforts

A Mississauga-based startup with ties to UTM has received a federal contract under the 2 Billion Trees program to help boost reforestation efforts in areas devastated by wildfire while also combatting the effects of climate change.

Flash Forest will receive $1.35 million from Natural Resources Canada to use drone technology to plant more than a million trees over the next two years in wildfire ravaged locations across Canada.

“As we know, climate change is the world’s most pressing challenge as global temperatures rise,” said Mississauga East-Cooksville MP Peter Fonseca, who was joined by Mississauga-Erin Mills MP Iqra Khalid during the announcement at UTM on Oct. 13. Climate change, he continued, is making wildfires more severe and frequent, noting that this year alone, wildfires have destroyed thousands of hectares of forest in Newfoundland, Yukon, British Columbia and Ontario.

“There’s no question that the need for more responsible stewardship of our planet is urgent. There’s no time to waste, especially as we look to achieve net zero by 2050,” Fonseca said. “By using drones, we can plant more swiftly, efficiently and effectively, making it easier to grow our forests, clean our air, support important habitats for wildlife and restore valuable ecosystems.”

Using new technologies to improve tree-planting, Flash Forest will use aerial mapping software, drones, automation and advanced seed pods to rapidly seed sites affected by wildfires across Canada. By using drones, Flash Forest can reach hard-to-access areas, plant trees 10 times faster at a fraction of the cost of conventional methods, and on a larger scale.

Flash Forest co-founder and CEO Bryce Jones lived in Kelowna during the 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park fire that consumed over 25,000 hectares of forest and parkland. The forest outside his back door was destroyed.

“Twenty years later there’s no forest left. It’s because we missed the opportunity to reforest the site.” He added that Flash Forest, which he co-founded with his brother Cameron, is focused on restoring severe wildfire sites where the seed pods and cones are lost and “the forest really needs a hand” to regenerate.

Jones, who used to plant trees the traditional way – with a shovel and a few hundred saplings – said he wanted to get involved with climate technology. The question was, how to automate reforestation.

“You really can’t do it from the ground. You can’t do it with robots on the forest floor, there are too many objects and snags and obstacles,” he said.

But, he realized, it could be done from the air. Drone technology was already available, with recent advancements allowing for larger payloads and longer ranges, creating a whole new set of applications, including within forestry. Using drones for reforestation efforts is highly scalable and could have a significant impact toward mitigating climate change.

“It’s also quite cool,” Jones added.

When the now rapidly growing reforestation company started in 2019, the founders turned to UTM’s incubator ICUBE, which specializes in social entrepreneurship. Jones said ICUBE assisted Flash Forest with funding and helped them bolster their research, giving them access to U of T’s greenhouse, where they conduct the bulk of their research and development on their seed pods and germination. Flash Forest also hires undergraduate, graduate and postdocs from UTM.

U of T Vice-President and UTM Principal Alexandra Gillespie said U of T is well-suited to support the kind of work undertaken by Flash Forest.

“We lead Canada’s largest, most diversified, and most integrated network of robotics and AI talent, who show the power of enabling technologies and transform multiple fields at once: from healthcare and mobility to sustainability and green economies,” she said, adding that U of T has created an entrepreneurial community that has earned more than $1.5 billion in investment over the past 10 years.

One of Flash Forest’s goals is to plant a billion trees by 2028, reaching areas that would otherwise not be reforested. The contribution from Natural Resources Canada is also creating educated jobs for Canadians. The company, which currently employs 30, is expected to double over the next two years. Jones said he anticipates employing hundreds, if not thousands, in the future.

Jones said he’s honoured to have this partnership with Natural Resources Canada.

“It’s a dream come true. It’s something we’ve been pushing for,” Jones said. “We intend to have [Natural Resources Canada] as a long-term partner.”