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Photos: Seed the North
SEED THE NORTH FOCUSES ON LANDSCAPE REGENERATION THROUGH HAZELTON FACILITY Seed the North was established in Hazelton in 2020 with the goal of regenerating northern landscapes that have been disturbed by fires, pests and other natural disturbances, or by human-caused disturbances such as road building. This regeneration is possible through the dissemination of landscape appropriate, encased seeds across thousands of hectares using locally trained drone pilots. Seed the North President Natasha Kuperman explains that “encasing” the seeds in biochar coating not only improves soil health, but also improves germination outcomes for encased seeds. “The seed species we collect are carefully selected for their regenerative capacity in post-disturbance forests, and we
prioritize species of ecological significance with the greatest potential to improve overall forest health,” said Kuperman. Biochar is a soil amendment made from pyrolyzed organic matter and thanks in part to a $50,000 NIIF rebate, the biochar encasing will be completed on site in Hazelton instead of being shipped to Vernon, B.C. “This product will be manufactured in Hazelton at such a scale to seed hundreds of thousands of hectares of northern land, without relying on products from other parts of the province or country,” said Kuperman. “The core work of the project is integrating tools from the pharmaceutical, candy-making, agricultural, automotive and forestry industries in a way that is customized within an equipment enclosure with a controlled environment.” continued on the following page
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Northern Development Initiative Trust – 2021 Annual Report
