To generate interest and create awareness of the role trees play in mitigating climate change.
Project Description:
Scope:
Tree Tweeting: 2 trees (one well established, one young) will tweet to each other about their growing environment. This will have a climate change lens on the tweets.
Data collection: Using the dendrometer, soil life sensor, sap flow sensor and RH/Temperature monitors data will be collected and visible on a dashboard.
Data sharing: All collected data will be made available through OpenData Hamilton
Webpage: Webpage will host easy to understand and meaningful metrics collected through the sensors. Will also include a “tree benefit calculator” through iTree and provide metrics from the trees that have been selected to Tweet based on iTree values
Intended Outcomes:
Public Interest: Provides a fun and educational opportunity for residents to better understand the role that trees play in our environment and in mitigating climate change. They will also better understand the challenges trees face in urban environments and why it is important to protect our heritage trees.
Urban Forest Strategy: Aligns with the launch of the urban forest strategy and provides valuable data that can be used by Staff and by external researchers.
Climate Change: Provides an opportunity to engage residents on the current pressures of climate change that often go unnoticed but are certainly impacting our urban forest and the many ecosystems in Hamilton. Provides valuable data of the like.
City Staff: Katie Mayne, Senior PM Forestry & Horticulture, Public Works
Instructor: Mark Yendt, Professor, Electrical and Computing Engineering Department
Course: Software Engineering Project