Research & Emerging Technology

Vertex understands the importance of developing our technology to better streamline our processes and further solidify our status as a leader in the environmental service industry. Innovation and newly developed technology remain relevant within all main industry sectors and have proven to be integral to various operations. Our core values have long since included the need to constantly evolve, to create positive, long-term sustainable change.

Through innovation and partnership with our customers, Vertex is committed to advancing our research, and embracing new and emerging technologies.   We focus equally on advancing emerging technologies and adapting existing nature-based solutions to better fit the current environmental landscape.   Examples of recent accomplishments in our research and emerging technology advisory practice are highlighted below:

• RESTART – Changing the Future of Reforestation

  RESTART is an innovative and cost-efficient approach to the process of reforestation and revegetation. Our team of environmental professionals target specific areas of forest floor, that contain a biodiverse and nutrient-rich composition of desired plant species. Through an effective and patented reforestation process, we then compress the forest floor to reduce its volume and concentrate the biota to enhance vegetation growth and to make the storage and transportation economically efficient.

  At Vertex, our aim is to deliver a cost-efficient and simplified alternative to the traditional methods of reforestation and revegetation. RESTART provides a valuable source of native plants, seed and vegetation propogules to accomplish this, changing the future of reforestation.

  Advantages of RESTART

  • Improves efficiency of direct placement
  • Maximizes use of forest floor – one hectare of salvaged material can reclaim up to 50 hectares of disturbed land
  • Decreases cost and simplifies logistics to transport and deliver forest floor
  • Allows for sharing of forest floor between areas requiring re-vegetation
  • Improves survivability and competitiveness of vegetation establishing from forest floor
  • Preserves seeds, vegetation propogules, nutrients, fungi, microorganisms and organic matter contained in forest floor
  • Can be applied underneath an established tree cover where conditions are more suitable for understory growth
  • Placement of RESTART creates microsites
  • Can be applied to peatland, native grasslands and tundra

  

  

  

  

  

  
• Honey Bee Project

  The Vertex Honey Bee Project harnesses the qualities of the honey bee to aid in the restoration of disturbed landscapes. Through the integration of honey bees in the reclamation process, Vertex is able to increase the pollination of key plant species resulting in greater genetic diversity and ecological resilience. In addition to enhancing the reclamation process, we are able to utilize honey bees and their products including honey, propolis and wax, to monitor the health of an ecosystem while providing local employment opportunities that support the growth of the declining global honey bee population.

  

  An Environmental Partnership

  • Honey bees are efficient and effective pollinators
  • Facilitates ecosystem restoration
  • Enhances plant community development
  • Increases use of native plant species
  • Increases yield of native berry crops
  • Provides unique training and employment opportunities
  • May increase propagule content in topsoil
  • Can be applied in a variety of ecosystems
  • Honey bee products create a value-added reclamation process

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
• Rootsicles

  A Rootsicle is an alternative product to planting seedlings, that creates greenhouse-like conditions for root cuttings that are planted outdoors. This process has proven to be more cost effective then traditional methods of re-vegetation.

   

  

  
• Vertex Growth Chamber

  Utilized similarly to the growth chambers operated by government and educational institutions, Vertex’s growth chamber provides industry with soil and seed analysis and testing to ensure the successful reforestation and reclamation of a disturbed area.