In Canada, Domtar, producer of pulp, paper, and personal care products, is harnessing the power of drone technology to complete critical forestry tasks. Two drones now monitor local forests looking for diseases or invasive species, making it easier and quicker for foresters to quickly check for infestations. Doug Teale, Sustainability Manager at Domtar’s Ashdown, Arkansas mill, told Sustainable Brands, “What used to be a half day’s work is now accomplished in 20 minutes.”
Domtar also uses the drones to check for forest growth in minutes, replacing the hours that foresters used to have to walk around the forests to check plantings and record growth. They also use the drones for inventory calculations, measuring survival rate of seedlings, and more. Domtar has expanded use of the drones to other locations including the Windsor, Quebec mill, with the potential to expand further throughout the system.