Illegal deforestation is a screaming injustice. But trees can't scream for help so we had the idea of giving trees a voice. We developed a warning system called Screaming Trees. It is a self-sufficient monitoring device hanging high up in the trees where it constantly measures the ambient noises. Whenever a chainsaw is used in protected areas, Screaming Trees infallibly detects it, sending out a warning signal via 3G. The local population and nature activists receive a notification on their smartphones, tablet pcs and notebooks, with exact location data of the tree. They can then take action and prevent trees from getting cut down.

Screaming Trees is an open-source autonomous monitoring device designed to detect the sound of a chainsaw.

To build an accurate sound detection system, we took a simple microphone and augmented it with code that can identify the frequency of a chainsaw without having to use a complicated algorithm or a cloud computer to stream and analyse the sound. The device measures motor rotation, volume, and sound duration to ensure that this unique combination of factors triggers the alert.

We tested various I.O.T. network protocols (WiFI, LORA, Sigfox, 3G) and decided to go with a 3G-enabled microcontroller communication protocol because it doesn’t rely on a third party antenna or server placed in the forest to transmit the data. Thus, we also cut down the time it takes for an alert to be sent.

The heart inside Screaming Trees is a low-power microcontroller that has been tested to consume the lowest amount of energy when in sleep mode. This allows Screaming Trees to run efficiently on solar energy and batteries. It wakes up, monitors the current sound level, and goes back to sleep if no data needs to be sent.

The device is ready to go and currently in a pilot-phase.

The pilot-phase has just started in cooperation with Agent Green. The device is open source, so the blueprints are accessible for free on our website. This way we want to give like-minded people, activists and NGOs all around the world the opportunity to benefit from our initiative. Furthermore we will air a 30 seconds spot on a popular German TV channel to drive awareness and raise funds for our endeavours. Additionally via different digital touch points and active communication we want get as many people involved as possible. Screaming Trees is our contribution for a global movement to protect the nature and move inactive governments.

How do you efficiently monitor and protect large areas of endangered woodland from illegal logging? Especially if the government takes part in these wheelings and dealings, there was no easy answer to that. Until we invented Screaming Trees. The device solves a severe problem, by creating and using real-time data to watch the forests and protect them from criminal lumberjacks, bypassing corrupt authorities. Screaming Trees is inspired by different monitoring devices, combining the best of open source I.O.T. sensors. It is designed to be easily reproducible, allowing anyone to build their own Screaming Trees to protect their local forest environment.

The project started in summer 2017. From the initial idea of developing an alarm-system to defend the primeval forests in Romania to tetsting the first prototypes it took a bit more than 4 months. But we needed another 3 months till the final devices were ready to go and the pilot-phase started beginning of 2018.

Romania is home to Europe’s last primeval forests, which stretch over at least 218.000 hectares of land. Sadly more and more woodlands vanishing due to illegal logging. 8,8 million cubic meters get cut down, right behind our backs, every single day. Ignorance and corruption keep the Romanian authorities from stepping into action. The urgency of this problem leaves no time for procrastination and calls for direct communication via real-time data. Thus activists and population have the chance to act quickly.