Advancing GreenBarriers Restoration Toolkit: Report #3

Regenerative collective intelligence

We've launched a survey to investigate the main bottlenecks faced by organizations regenerating ecosystems, and to understand the best tools we can offer them. This process will be open for two months, and we expect to share the results in our next report.

We are sending it to regenerative organizations in Spain to get their feedback; it is available at: 

https://forms.gle/rfioaWqvguxNA7Fz6

Biodiversity monitoring tests

Camera traps

We have already installed two cameras in Almazarán, although this is not enough for quantitative population studies. However, they can help us qualitatively; we would like to document the presence of otters, previously sighted by a volunteer. The Eurasian otter (Luther Luther) The species is listed internationally by the IUCN as Near Threatened (NT). Documenting its presence could help us secure funding for the river's protection.

While we have observed that, due to the not so high quality of the brands used, they were not very sensitive to the presence of wildlife, we will increase their sensitivity in future sessions, although this carries the risk of more false positives. The solar camera did not perform as well as we expected, likely due to its semi-shaded location, so we will relocate it to full sun.

Soil microphone

We excitedly decided to purchase the LeafAudio soil microphone as a low-cost solution to assess the biodiversity and health of the soils in our project and to incorporate it into the restoration kit.

After conducting several tests, we have found that it is very easy to use, as you only need to stick it in the ground and connect it to an audio recorder. It can quickly provide qualitative data and is an excellent educational tool for communicating the relationship between soil biodiversity and health.
However, at a quantitative level, to obtain data that we can measure and compare, we have found that it requires the advanced use of programming, or the acquisition of software licenses with monthly payments to obtain soil biodiversity acoustic indices that we can use.

This has diminished the initial enthusiasm for this technology, as it is no longer a simple and accessible solution for assessing soil quality. While it remains an interesting tool for showing farmers and those involved in soil regeneration what their soils sound like and fostering an emotional connection to their biodiversity, relying on these metrics as indicators of good practices is far more complex.
To gauge the interest in this technology among farmers and soil regeneration specialists, we have created a short video inviting them to call us so we can come and listen to the soils on their farms:

Physical kit: Post hole digger

Among the physical tools we thought the regenerative kit could have, we opted for an Einhell post hole digger and a couple of batteries with enough power to make dozens of holes without much effort in a single day. We expect that this will help us and others to soft the hard work of making holes for trees.

Remote Sensing for Regeneration: Almazarán

Perhaps the most direct and easiest way to support emerging regenerative projects is by assisting them with the design. Mistakes are often made when designing agroforestry systems, and once implementation begins, it's difficult to reverse course. Therefore, the first digital tool considered for a restoration kit could be something that aids in this process. Through satellite remote sensing and historical data, we can support projects remotely with key information.

We've evaluated different remote sensing platforms and have a candidate that's also free. Our goal now is to make the general information it provides accessible and understandable for regenerative projects.

Below we share some of the valuable information we can provide; this data is generated for the land we have under our custody: Almazarán.

Frost history

Weekly frequency of the last spring frost (left) and the first autumn frost (right) over the past 30 years. Each column represents a week of the year. The number within each column indicates how many of the years with recorded frosts had their last (spring) or first (autumn) frost in that week. Darker shades indicate a higher frequency of frost occurrence.

Historical rainfall

The dark blue line represents the mean monthly totals, and the shaded bands indicate variability: the interquartile range (darker blue) and the total observed range (lighter blue). The red bars show the highest daily rainfall recorded in each month.

Temperature history

Monthly distribution of average daily temperatures (white), maximum temperatures (red), and minimum temperatures (blue). The width of the violin-shaped charts reflects the frequency of the values, while the vertical range represents the observed extreme values. This visualization captures both typical and exceptional temperature conditions throughout the year.

Historical seasonal compass rose

They show the prevailing wind directions and frequencies for each quarter. This data supports the planning of windbreaks, ventilation, snow and moisture management, and seasonal microclimate control.

Contour lines

What water pressure will we get from a tank if it's placed in a certain location? Contour maps are key to determining this type of information.

Slope map

Which areas have steep slopes and therefore a higher risk of erosion? A slope map is key to answering this question.

Orientation map

How many square meters do we have facing north? How many facing south? A map of orientations is perhaps the most important map for deciding which species to plant in each place.

This is just some examples of the valuable information we can provide through online suppliers and which we hope to facilitate in the delivery of the digital restoration kit.