The Blenheim Estate is embarking on partnership project to help increase the effectiveness of reforestation efforts within the estate.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site is teaming up with A Healthier Earth's ForestFactory concept to help mitigate climate change-related land and forestry challenges affecting the estate.

Challenges include a European shortage of available seeds and tree-stock, changing climate, changing soil conditions and low seedling survival rates are negatively impacting reforestation efforts at historical estates like Blenheim.

A Healthier Earth’s ForestFactory concept tackles these issues, using synthetic biology to deploy geo-specific and genetically diverse forests that sequester carbon from the atmosphere.

ForestFactory is made up of three elements that will increase the effectiveness and speed of reforestation projects at Blenheim Estate, including:

• Micro-propagation: using source material, such as buds and twigs, native to local ancient woodland to create genetically relevant plant stock, negating the requirement to grow from seeds

• Autonomous Vertical Farming Systems: growing local seedlings and saplings in vertically-stacked layers in a controlled, autonomous environment, monitored and operated by smart software solutions, to create beneficial characteristics which aid survivability and health.

• Biochar: applying circular biochar to soil before trees are planted, improving water retention and fertility, and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere for over 500 years.

The partnership aims to plant 600,000 trees over the next three years across the Blenheim Estate, using only trees that are local to the grounds.

A Healthier Earth chief R&D officer, Alastair Collier said: “The effects of climate change on our trees, soil and sapling survival rates mean we urgently need to amend our forestry practices to meet our national reforestation targets.

"ForestFactory will use a geo-specific and multi-disciplinary approach to support the growth of the country’s most beautiful and biologically diverse forests, starting at Blenheim Estate.”

The project will be funded by Blenheim Estate, with A Healthier Earth operating and delivering the project with partners including Vertical Future, a global vertical farming technology and data company.

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