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Cities & the Internet of Nature, with Nadina Galle & Sophie Nitoslawski

Ep. 7

This week's episode explores the promises of improved stewardship of the urban canopy using cutting edge technology. I was joined by Nadina Galle, PhD candidate in Ecological Engineering and CEO & Co-Founder of Green City Watch, a geospatial AI firm and Sophie Nitoslawski PhD student at UBC and Research Director at the Internet of Nature.


Nadina & Sophie's Internet of Nature startup seeks to overcome the urban fragmentation of mycorrhizal networks which have kept trees healthy and connected for millions of years. Their Internet of Nature start-up is a multi-city venture which incubates and deploys a network of sensors, algorithms and other tech tools to bridge the gap between increasing smart infrastructure and the need for increasingly robust green infrastructure. Extending and deepening the conversation I had with Cecil Konijnendijk, Nadina & Sophie covered:


  • Why cities are so stressful for trees
  • The role of emerging technology in improving tree health, and the aims of The Internet of Nature
  • Why the value of trees goes UP over time
  • Why experts should be leading on tree planting drives, and what can go wrong when they aren't
  • Improving data sets: the pressing need for tree inventories
  • Why mid-size cities are often better innovators
  • How climate change is impacting city tree strategies


Their diverse work is housed at the new website - www.theinternetofnature.com

Nadina's TedTalk can be seen here

Nadina and Sophie will be presenting a keynote presentation at the 4th Trees, People & The Built Environment conference (Birmingham, UK) - tickets available here


Twitter

@sophienito

@earthtonadine


LINKS to show mentions


@hopejahren - Author of Lab Girl

@awitnesstree

The Outdoor Citizen - John Judge

The Second Machine Age - Erik Brynjolfsson & Andrew McAfee


More Episodes

6/10/2020

Nature & culture in rapidly densifying Indian cities, with Prof Harini Nagendra

Ep. 17
Harini Nagendra is Professor of Sustainability at Azim Premji University in Karnataka, India. Her work explores the evolving relationship between people and nature in Indian cities, with publications including Nature in the City, Bengalaru in the Past, Present and Future (2016) and Cities and Canopies: Trees in Indian Cities(2019). We explored the way that ancient and more recent human activity helped shape the region's ecology and in particular the way that Bangalore's development has been informed by the need to manage scarce water resources - but also how the particularities of indigenous culture have lent a deeper everyday connection with and understanding of nature - and what (and how) we can learn from the way these challenges are being met.Talking points- the role nature in rapidly urbanising countries/densifying cities- animism and the spiritual connection with nature- how to engage with indigenous approaches to ecology, and how they improve upon colonial attitudes - ecological memory and forgetting in indian cities- how resource (water) scarcity and human activity to compensate for it has shaped Karnataka’s ecology and the regions’ priorities for modern GI interventions- medicine, food and scent as drivers of our experience of nature in the city- why citizen restoration movements rather than municipalities are the key drivers of ecological enhancement - how the pandemic story is unfolding in India, and the implications for social urban developmentLINKSProf Harini Nagendra - @HariniNagendraRobin Hobbs - Farseer Trilogy via bookshop.orgThe Nature of Cities