Drop seeds, not bombs

Aerial reforestation in Thailand
Thailand (Phitsanulok)

With 26 billion trees currently burned down annually and only 15 billion replanted, we need millions of trees to combat the effects of global warming. That’s why the Thai government and its Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment are growing more trees on damaged land with a five-year pilot project that uses aerial reforestation to boost forest regeneration.

Aerial reforestation is a technique used to quickly plant large numbers of new trees. Local tree seeds are mixed with soil and shaped into small balls called seed bombs, which are dropped from airplanes over land. They are ready to grow as soon they hit the ground.

In April 2013 the Royal Thai Air Force dropped seed bombs over a wildlife sanctuary the size of 800 football fileds in Phitsanulok province. Students helped to make the balls from local plants such as phayungs, maka mongs and kaboks, which are highly regarded for plywood and hardwood.

Watch how Thailand intends to transform its deteriorated forests into healthy green forests.

Read more about an ex-NASA engineer replanting one billion trees a year.

Written by

Lisa Goldapple, Editor, Atlas of the Future (30 May 2017)

Project leader

Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong Commander, Royal Thai Air Force

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Comments

 

  1. Andrés Jiménez

    I am interested in starting this program initiative in my country. Where could I obtain some information and guidance for this project?

  2. Michael Shapiro

    Seed bombing project

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