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68,345 trees, and a different way to reforest

An alumnus-founded startup brings seed pods, drones and local knowledge to a burned northern landscape.

Reported by Zoe Kelsey

A helicopter carries seed pods toward a reforestation site.
ClimateA helicopter carries seed pods toward a reforestation site.Photo: Flash Forest / University of Toronto

U of T alumnus Cameron Jones co-founded Flash Forest after seeing the long afterlife of wildfire in British Columbia. The company pairs seed pods with imaging, machine learning and aerial delivery.

Aerial planting is designed for remote terrain.
ClimateAerial planting is designed for remote terrain.Photo: Flash Forest / University of Toronto

In northern Quebec, a partnership with U of T planted 68,345 trees in the Assinica Wildlife Reserve. The project is as much about local knowledge and species selection as it is about the machinery overhead.

Sources 1
  1. Original reporting · utoronto.ca
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This story is from the August 2026 issue of Alumni Digest · U of T. It's free, monthly and independent.

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