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Levi Farrand - Deep Forestry
Levi Farrand, CEO of Deep Forestry, joins The Digital Forester podcast to share his incredible journey from adventure guide and naval diver in Australia to leading a cutting-edge forest tech company in Sweden.Deep Forestry is pioneering fully autonomous LiDAR-equipped drones that can fly beneath the forest canopy, creating highly detailed digital twins of forests for inventory, planning, and carbon projects.Levi takes us through the early startup days—bootstrapping with his co-founder, recruiting his first engineer from a rock-climbing gym, and proving that their system could map every tree in a stand with accuracy rivaling or surpassing traditional field methods. We dive into the challenges of scaling AI-driven forest mapping, the future of sub-canopy drones in commercial and conservation forestry, and why Levi believes democratizing access to this technology will transform decision-making in forests around the world.If you care about data-driven forestry, carbon transparency, and the future of forest management, this episode is a must-listen.Topics Covered:Levi’s journey from adventure guide and naval diver to tech founderBuilding Deep Forestry from a startup idea to a global solutionThe role of autonomous LiDAR drones in creating digital twins of forestsStartup challenges: bootstrapping, networks, and early adoptersPrecision and accuracy in sub-canopy forest measurementsApplications for inventory, carbon markets, and time-series monitoringPricing models and the shift from hardware to service-based deliveryScaling innovation: batteries, lighter LiDAR, and AI pipelinesOpportunities in diverse forests vs. monoculturesLevi’s vision for democratizing access to affordable forest mapping tools
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52:41
Alex Deslauriers - FireSwarm Solutions
Alex Deslauriers, Co-Founder & CEO of FireSwarm Solutions, joins The Digital Forester podcast to share how his personal loss to wildfire sparked a mission to transform how we fight fires. With a background in aerospace engineering and search and rescue, Alex and his team at FireSwarm Solutions are developing heavy-lift drones, swarm intelligence, and AI-driven systems to deliver water and suppression agents faster, safer, and more effectively.We explore Alex’s journey, the challenges of wildfire management in a changing climate, and how technology and partnerships are redefining what’s possible on the fire line.If you care about innovation, resilience, and the future of wildfire response, this episode is a must-listen.Topics Covered:Alex’s background in aerospace and SAR (search and rescue)The personal impact of the 2023 BC wildfiresFounding FireSwarm Solutions and its missionHeavy-lift drones and swarm technology for wildfire suppressionUsing AI to coordinate rapid response in high-risk conditionsThe role of partnerships and collaboration in scaling innovationChallenges of bringing aerospace tech into forestry operationsThe future vision for wildfire management: speed, safety, resilience
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56:24
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Domenico Iannidinardo & Aaron Fujikawa - Strategic Natural Resource Group
Domenico Iannidinardo, CEO, and Aaron Fujikawa, Director of Remote Sensing & Geomatics at Strategic Natural Resource Group (SNRgroup), join us on The Digital Forester podcast to share how they're navigating the future of forestry and resource management in British Columbia. Domenico brings decades of leadership experience from the forest industry, while Aaron shares how Strategic’s tech-forward mindset is driving innovation with GIS, remote sensing, and operational analytics. Together, they break down how a boots-on-the-ground culture and Indigenous majority ownership are helping the company respond to today’s biggest forestry challenges — from wildfires to shifting tenure models.If you’re curious about where digital forestry meets field operations, this is the episode for you. Topics Covered:Domenico’s transition from forest industry executive to CEO of StrategicAaron’s background in GIS and 15+ years leading geospatial innovationThe founding story and evolution of Strategic Natural Resource GroupShifting BC forestry tenures and Indigenous leadershipWildfires, spill response, and rapid deployment operationsEmbracing technology: GPS, drones, LiDAR, and digital twinsStrategic Natural Resource Group's approach to building dashboards and data portalsHow remote sensing and field data fuel better planningThe intersection of climate change, land management, and techRecruiting and retaining top talent in forestry and natural resources
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54:58
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54:58
Lorne Carson - Carson Integrated
Lorne Carson, President of Carson Integrated, joins us on The Digital Forester podcast to share his journey from the East Coast to building a diverse group of companies rooted in Western Canada. Lorne walks us through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship in forestry, energy, and environmental services. We talk about the state of forestry in Western Canada, challenges with wildfire and regulation, and where real innovation is happening today — including AI, exoskeletons for field crews, and even augmented reality.Tune in to hear how Lorne's boots-on-the-ground approach, willingness to pivot, and passion for people have shaped a resilient, tech-savvy forestry business built to last.Topics Covered:Lorne’s path into forestry and move from the East Coast to AlbertaStarting Carson Integrated and evolving beyond traditional consultingBuilding and winding down multiple businesses: safety, GIS, rentalsState of forestry in Western Canada vs. British ColumbiaEntrepreneurial lessons in timing, failure, and resilienceThe impact of wildfires and adapting operations in real timeTechnology trends: data overload, machine learning, and AIUsing exoskeletons in forestry fieldworkVision for AR/VR and immersive digital forestry toolsChallenges of innovation adoption in woodlands operationsThe future of Carson Integrated and Western Canadian forestry
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56:24
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56:24
Howard Butler - Hobu Inc.
In this episode of The Digital Forester, Howard Butler, President of Hobu Inc., shares his journey from agricultural roots to leading innovation in open-source geospatial software. We explore the evolution of tools like GDAL, PDAL, and Entwine, and how they're transforming forestry, especially in handling and visualizing massive point cloud datasets.Howard explains how technologies like SilviMetric are modernizing forestry analytics and data management. He also shares thoughts on the future of lidar, cloud-optimized formats, AI, and what’s next for scalable, open geospatial systems. A must-listen for digital foresters and GIS professionals.Topics Covered:Howard’s path from agriculture to GIS and open-source softwareFounding of Hobu Inc. and the philosophy behind open sourceKey projects: GDAL, PROJ, PDAL, Entwine, and Cloud Optimized Point CloudsHow PDAL emerged with support from the U.S. Army Corps of EngineersForestry applications: point cloud processing, classification, and raster generationSilviMetric: developed with the U.S. Forest Service for forestry metric analysisThe role of cloud-native formats and scalable data accessAdoption across governments, research, and industryAI, Gaussian splatting, and the future of 3D geospatial analysisAdvice for getting started with geospatial tools
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