The word to chestnut trees: educate them to know, protect and monitor them through IoT technology

BACKGROUND

In April 2021, the Environmental Fund opened a competition under ENEA 2020 to support projects with generic objectives:

1. Enhancing the territory - in pursuit of the National Environmental Education Strategy (ENEA 2020)

2. Increase visibility and public perception of the value of natural heritage and ecosystem services - contributing to objective 1.10 of the National Strategy for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity 2030 (ENCNB 2030)

The full articulation between ENEA 2020 and ENCNB 2030 aims to foster a civic culture that considers these two objectives and promotes the appropriation of the values of this capital by society.

SYNOPSIS

InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was one of the winners, with the project “The word to chestnut trees: educate them to know, protect and monitor them through IoT technology”, This consists of the implementation of an experimental and innovative environmental education program.

This pilot is aimed at chestnut producers (belonging to the CastCoa association - Associação de Produtores de Castanha do Coa), the Sabugal Town Hall (CMS) and the municipality's high school graduates, who are about to choose their future profession.

Producers face the challenge of obtaining timely information that allows them to act on management issues. The municipality also needs information to make environmental policy decisions, and to plan the safeguarding and enhancement of local resources in the long term.

The 12th graders, who could be the next generation of chestnut producers, will learn about the importance of the chestnut tree, inspired by the reconciliation of technology and sustainability concepts, and will learn how to take care of this natural heritage.

OBJECTIVES

The project focuses on chestnut trees as local natural capital, focusing on how the trees respond to changes in the surrounding natural environment and anthropogenic pressures - and how these can damage the health of the groves.

The main novelty of the educational program is the application of digital 4.0 technology, based on the “Internet of Things” (IoT), to support and add value to traditional teaching methods.

The trees will be the ones communicating their state of health, thanks to the TreeTalker sensors, created by the Italian company Nature 4.0. Installed around the trunk, the sensors will analyze the water consumption of the chestnut trees (through sap flow), biomass growth (diameter), stem humidity, absorbed solar radiation and the state of health of the leaves through spectral indices (light reflection).

ACTIVITIES

The project included the following activities:

1. Nature 4.0 Training Course on the operation and installation of TreeTalkers. The training was followed by the installation of 20 sensors in two study areas.

2. Presentations on the biology of the chestnut tree, the role of IoT sensors as tools for monitoring tree health and the ecosystem services provided by chestnut trees. The presentations were followed by a series of activities in one of the study areas, designed to give students the opportunity to “step into the shoes” of researchers for a day.

3. Seminar about the progress of science on solutions to limit the negative impact of the main chestnut pests and diseases. It included a description of the best management practices for chestnut and chestnut trees, such as natural capital.

All RESOURCES (videos, presentations and other materials) produced during this project will be available for download.