Authorities in the state of Michoacán, in western Mexico, are using drones to scatter seeds from the air in an effort to reforest hundreds of hectares of burned forest. Michoacán, slightly larger than Costa Rica, is one of the regions with the highest number of forest fires in the country, along with the capital and the central State of Mexico.
The year 2024 was one of the most critical for forest fires in Mexico, with 1.6 million hectares burned nationwide, according to data from the National Forestry Commission (Conafor). The reforestation program uses drones capable of carrying up to 20 kilograms of seeds to disperse them over affected areas. Similar technology has previously been used in Canada.
The seeds are pre-germinated, meaning they already have a root, which will help them grow into new plants. “This is a reinforcement to traditional reforestation efforts,” explained Martha Beatriz Rendón, director of the Michoacán Forestry Commission, said in an interview.
She noted that some burned forest areas are inaccessible to workers carrying seedlings and tools for traditional reforestation, which requires planting trees by hand. In such cases, drones are especially useful.
“What the drone does is release the seed, and with the air, it spreads across the entire area,” she said during reforestation efforts in the municipality of Contepec. The official reported that in 2024 about 97,000 hectares of forest burned, and so far in 2025, around 36,000 have already been lost.
“We’re not even halfway through the amount that’s burning,” she added. Meanwhile, Manuel Gonzales, head of plantations for the state’s Forestry Commission and a drone operator, explained that after a wildfire, vegetation is cleared away, allowing the seeds dropped by drones to reach the soil directly.
“We expect a germination rate of at least 30%,” he said. Authorities are also working with local communities, which often provide seeds and support traditional reforestation work.
