A US non-profit is creating the world's first-ever "tech forest" on a piece of wasteland in Phoenix, Arizona. Waffle Forest says its smart trees will combine nature and tech to take on the problem of air pollution.
Credit: Waffle Forest
Artist conception of "Waffle Forest" with smart-tree technology planned in Phoenix, Arizona. Credit: Waffle Forest
Waffle Forest founder Ernest Lerma said that through a process called Forest Integration With Technology, or FIT, which combines reforestation with carbon capture tech, the plan was to measure the amount of carbon removed from the air.
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Waffle Forest envisions planting 10,000 trees in its "tech forest", augmenting its carbon-absorbing effects with direct-air-capture infrastructure akin to the "mechanical trees" being developed at Arizona State University.
"Once the forest is planted, we'll be installing state-of-the-art direct-air-capture infrastructure nearby to further reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality in a green, sustainable, cost-efficient way," said Lerma.
On the wasteland, rows and rows of 4.5m² (15-by-15-foot-square) "smart tree" installations will be laid out in a waffle pattern, accounting for the project's name. Each tree is fitted with a small high-tech device called a TreeTalker. Created by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Riccardo Valentini, who will also serve as chief scientific advisor for the project, TreeTalkers measure the tree's growth and general health and then relay the information to a data server on an hourly basis.
"TreeTalkers are able to reveal a tree's absorption of carbon dioxide, track its growth and the amount of water necessary to keep the tree healthy, and alert us if a tree is under attack from insects or fungi," explained Lerma.
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The first phase of the project will see 100 waffles created on the Phoenix landfill, each equipped with TreeTalker tech.
Lerma says that he is working with US government agencies with an eye to planting more tech forests on wasteland sites across Arizona and the United States.
"I was born and raised in a poor Hispanic neighbourhood in South Phoenix," he said. "I've been fortunate to have achieved business success, and I want to do something to improve my community and other marginalised communities across the country," he said.
"In December of 2020, I was sitting on South Mountain looking at the layer of pollution over the city, and I had the idea to bring new life to land ravaged by landfills. That's how Waffle Forest came to be."
The project's primary goal, says Lerna, is to simultaneously clean the environment and create a beautiful landscape in a previously mismanaged area. Instead of planting seedlings, fully grown trees of 3 to 6 metres (10 to 20 feet) are planted, creating "pocket parks" for people to sit and relax.
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The non-profit organisation is also planning to create sponsorship opportunities.
"Individuals, families, and corporations will be able to sponsor waffle sections to help with Waffle Forest upkeep. Donors can name and dedicate trees, potentially transforming gift-giving and memorial services," said Lerma.
"A QR code posted at each waffle can communicate personalised information from donors, from grandma's recipes to a family tree. We want to give residents and their families the opportunity to create and share memories while contributing to positive change in today's environmental crisis."
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