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We are proud to announce that this project has won the first place prize at the Microsoft US 2021 IoT Hack for Sustainability! For more information, visit https://devpost.com/software/stemm-network.

Summary

We are a group of San Jose college students working on a project as part of the Microsoft Azure IoT Sustainability Hackathon (https://iotsustainabilityhack.devpost.com/). The competition involves suggesting and building a solution that utilizes internet of things technology to aid in achieving sustainability goals. Our project, which we call the Street Tree Monitoring Network (STEM Net), is a prototype software that aims to reduce urban tree mortality. The software would link a network of soil moisture sensors and provide detailed information to improve urban forestry outcomes.

A brief summary of our project proposal and goals is as follows.

As articulated in the Climate Smart San Jose Plan (https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/environment/climate-smart-san-jos), addressing climate change is a key priority for the city. The San Jose Community Forest Draft Plan (https://sanjosecfmp.com/) discusses the many benefits of tree planting, and the importance of urban forestry in building climate resilience. Research shows that urban forests reduce energy costs associated with cooling buildings, foster urban biodiversity, and remove air pollution. Successful urban forestry can only be achieved if trees survive to maturity. In semiarid climates such that of San Jose, insufficient irrigation may reduce tree survival, particularly for young trees that are establishing root systems.

The San Jose Community Forest Draft Plan notes that the current structure of tree management in San Jose creates challenges in providing tree watering and care, which can cause mortality in new trees during drought and extreme heat (page 41). The Draft Plan also notes that “because of the inconsistency of volunteer watering, the City must consider other options to manage park tree planting and establishment care.”

Our project aims to assist city departments in coordinating tree watering and establishment care by providing real-time remote observation of soil moisture via a network of sensors installed in strategic locations. The STEM Network involves (1) a system of soil moisture sensors and (2) a dashboard to display real-time remote soil moisture observations.

We anticipate that the soil sensors would most likely be installed on city property, especially parks and libraries, around newly planted trees, as saplings are at a higher risk of death due to water stress. However, the network would not be limited to these instances; it could be deployed for any sites with tree planting projects, including residences and commercial properties. We expect that information from the soil moisture sensors would detect irrigation failures and water leaks, informing site managers when trees do not receive sufficient watering or when trees receive excess water. We expect that this data will allow for efficient management of trees within the city, reducing newly planted tree mortality. We hope that such a system, if deployed, would assist in effective urban forestry, which is critical for both sustainable growth and a vibrant civic landscape.

The biggest advantage of this technology is its flexibility and extensibility. As the Capital of the Silicon Valley continues to develop into a smart and connected city, we envision that a dashboard like the one proposed would integrate very well with other IoT solutions, such as automated irrigation systems and other monitoring sensors.