Hi Aleks! So, who are SEAD Artists?

Aleks Kowalski: SEAD Artists are a consortium of experts using drone technology to revolutionise how landowners, environmentalists and conservationists manage the UK’s vast peatland carbon sink resources. Prior to our upcoming project with the Great Fen and the Co-op Foundation, we’ve looked at deploying the capability of drones as part of a combination of services to survey, spray and seed for both environmental and agricultural benefits.

Some of our members include AutoSpray Solutions, the only UK company permitted to use drones for spraying and spreading; DronePrep, architects of the first real world drone deliveries in England and Scotland; Aerofirm, world-leading safety case expert around drone operations; and Skypointe, which is a safety and aerospace consultancy supporting bringing together all air and ground users, as well as others who have data analytics and surveillance capabilities.

How did the idea come about?

AK: As drone operators, we've known each other for many years and have a keen interest in how this technology can be used for the benefit of people and planet. Our SEAD Artist Gareth lives in Cornwall and through his background in Land Management and working with the Duchy, he came to realise the importance of looking after and curating our land for the better. And as we began working with more agricultural customers, we learned more about the particular challenges that come with managing and restoring peatlands. So when Andy mentioned his drone agricultural capability we felt this was an opportunity to bring our talents together on peatland and supporting scale. In 2023, we launched the PEF-funded project Drone RePeat, with the aim of increasing awareness of the paludiculture and carbon gains possible through using robotics and data.

We realised this combination of talents in our partners was unique in that we weren’t looking to start a new business – but instead all held a shared philosophy to support environmental sustainability through the use of a combination of new technologies. Sharing branding through the SEAD Artists consortium would also allow any partner to represent a wider sphere of opportunity that simply offering spraying or aviation safety cases. In addition, it has enabled us to reach out to others within the agriculture sector and find partners for other projects, such as the one with the Great Fen.

Why are drones an effective technology to use in peatlands?

AK: Using drones instead of farm machinery on any soil type reduces soil compaction, diesel contamination, saves time and is much safer for the farm workers. The additional challenge for landowners cultivating or restoring peatland is due to its bogging and inaccessible nature. Here, drones can access land that heavy farm machinery cannot.

Drones are also mostly powered by electricity and our calculations suggest the potential carbon gains that could be realised by managing this important but delicate landscape through reduced peatland degradation, maintenance of large carbon sinks and the commercial exploitation of peat-hardy crops, will effectively make the drone flights enabling this innovative approach carbon negative.

But we recognise that the farmer needs a data-driven insight solution to keep things simple, and that’s at the core of the offering.

Where has your technology been used so far?

AK: All SEAD Artists have showcased their effectiveness for many years. AutoSpray has supported potato farming on the steep hills of Jersey, tree planting in Scotland's mountains, and parsnip farming in England. From an aviation perspective we’re helping other drone operations in the UK and internationally to fly more than the standard regulatory permissions of 500m to enable scalability and support more than agricultural use cases in those circumstances. We’ve also flown at four different locations, testing new mechanisms to seed Typha and even Biochar via drone. (see Lorna's recent blog about a visit to Lancashire Wildlife Trust).

How will you be working with us in the Great Fen?

AK: As a partner of the Co-op and Co-op Foundation's Carbon Innovation Fund, the Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs and Northants has recently been awarded £150k to test new ways to sow, manage and monitor crops sustainably on peatlands and test their suitability as food for livestock. This will demonstrate wet farming techniques that can be scaled up if needed, all while protecting peat soils. We will be working together on the Great Fen’s Peatland Progress project to trial the use of drones in their paludiculture trials, to sow and harvest bulrushes. These plants, Typha Latifolia – can be used to create clothing or building materials and can be grown in a wet peatland environment which means more space for wildlife and less carbon emissions. We’re really looking forward to partnering with the Trust to help show farmers how they can farm in the Fens in a way that protects nature and the climate, and still make a profit, and to showcase the role drones can play in fighting climate change.

Well, we're excited to get started in the Great Fen! How can people get in touch with you if they'd like to know more or work with you too?

AK: Please contact info@seadartists.com, and we’ll be happy to send a brochure that explains our overarching value proposition.