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Easter is just a few days away and, if you haven't already indulged already, that means a day to enjoy some special foods and treats that we don't get any other time of the year. Bring on the Peeps (maybe?), but Washington resident prefer hard boiled eggs! You probably have a favorite Easter treat and, according to Zippia, the most Google searched food in Washington is hard boiled eggs. But you can't just eat eggs all day (or can you?), so you'll probably enjoy a special meal. First, you may want to choose a meat like this delicious recipe for apricot glazed ham or roasted lamb with herb sauce. Potatoes in any form are always a great side, especially this recipe for potato gratin with spring onion or these cheesy potatoes. You may be tempted to skip out on the vegetables, but not if its delicious steamed asparagus. We could give you all kinds of ideas and recipes for Easter dessert, but we want to hear what your favorite Easter desserts are!

This story originally appeared in Chevrolet's online magazine, New Roads. The headlights of Chris Nikic’s Chevrolet Suburban caught the glistening dew-soaked grass as his vehicle joined a dozen others in Lucky Meisenheimer’s front yard, their occupants all there for the same reason: an early swim in Lake Cane. It was September of 2022. Two days earlier, Chris had been walking a runway at New York Fashion Week. Now, he meandered down a Central Florida driveway at 6 a.m. on his way toward the water. This walk had become familiar for him — he was doing it four to five times a week in preparation for the 2022 IRONMAN World Championship, held in Kailua-Kona the following month. Illuminated by dawn’s first light, Chris prepped for his workout as buoys pulled by other swimmers bobbed across the lake’s surface. Many would complete the 1,000-meter roundtrip known as Lucky’s Lake Swim and earn the honor of adding their signature to the thousands that already blanketed the side of Lucky’s house. Chris did that the first time he finished the swim in 2019, writing, “Chris World Champ.” He can’t quite remember why he added “World Champ,” but he immediately set about earning his self-declared title. In November 2020 in Panama City Beach, Florida, Chris became the first person with Down syndrome to finish an IRONMAN triathlon race — a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run. So much of his story follows from that. There are the multiple ESPY awards and a sponsorship with a major athletic brand. He bought his Suburban. He became a motivational speaker, wrote a book, and tied it all to his 1% Better Foundation, its name based on his philosophy of continuously making small improvements to achieve his goals. And he’s far from finished. “I just keep getting better every day,” Chris says. “There are new goals and dreams to go after.” Those goals and dreams are pinned on the walls of his bedroom, serving to remind him of why he does what he does. When one is reached, it’s time to set another. See all photos and complete article here.

Chevrolet sweeps NASCAR season-opener at Daytona, taking wins across all three national series Enduring a rain-delayed start and an intense late-race battle to the finish, it was Team Chevy’s William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team that earned the title as the 2024 Daytona 500 Champions. Byron’s victory marked Chevrolet’s second consecutive — and 26th all-time —  triumph in the “Great American Race”. “Congratulations to William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team on their win in the 2024 Daytona 500,” said Scott Bell, vice president, Global Chevrolet. “Winning NASCAR’s most iconic race is a goal for Chevrolet each season, and we are proud to have William bring home our 26th victory in the Great American Race.” The triumph marked Hendrick Motorsports’ return to victory lane in the Daytona 500 for the first time in nine years, with Bryon’s win taking the organization to a record-tying nine victories in the crown jewel event. Making the triumph even more special, the win came exactly 40 years since Hendrick Motorsports’ first-ever start in NASCAR’s top division to mark a storybook beginning to the organization’s anniversary season. NASCAR’s season-opening weekend started with Chevrolet reaching a milestone feat at Daytona International Speedway with Nick Sanchez and the No. 2 Rev Racing Silverado RST team earning the manufacturer’s milestone 100th NASCAR victory at the famed 2.5-mile Florida Superspeedway in Friday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. In addition to Byron’s Daytona 500 victory, fellow Team Chevy driver Austin Hill parked his No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Camaro SS in victory lane for the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ season-opener to cap off a weekend sweep for Chevrolet at the “World Center of Racing”. Chevrolet is now the only manufacturer in NASCAR history to sweep all three NASCAR national series in a season-opening weekend at Daytona International Speedway more than once — also accomplishing the feat in 2018. “The victory added to an already special weekend for Chevrolet at Daytona,” added Bell. “We are honored to have Nick Sanchez, Austin Hill and William Byron add their names to an elite list of drivers who have taken Chevrolet to 102 NASCAR wins at Daytona International Speedway.” The 2024 season continues for all three NASCAR national series at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend, kicking off with a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 24, followed by the NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, Feb. 25. ABOUT CHEVROLET Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Being a leader in hands-free driving can’t happen by standing still, and winning over more happy customers means expanding access to technology through both features — like available trailering — and drivable roads. GM has made extraordinary progress on that commitment and is adding an additional group of highways to its flagship hands-free technology Super Cruise, bringing the total to about 750,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers) of compatible roads across the U.S. and Canada. Safely deploying and expanding access to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), like Super Cruise 2, is an important step in gaining consumer trust and excitement around the future of transportation. For perspective, 750,000 miles is like traveling one way from Earth to the Moon three times or taking a coast-to-coast road trip from New York City to San Francisco and back nearly 130 times. This new batch of compatible roads makes Super Cruise the largest truly hands-free operating domain in North America — nearly six times the coverage of other hands-free driver assistance technologies on the market today. “GM is all-in on safely deploying Super Cruise as we make the technology available on more vehicles, more roads and for more people to enjoy. A key part of that is expanding the road network — in this case nearly doubling it again — with LiDAR mapped highways.  High precision LiDAR mapping gives us an operating domain where we are confident in Super Cruise’s abilities.”– Anantha Kancherla, GM vice president of ADAS. Our Approach to Safe Deployment Super Cruise launched in 2017 as the industry’s first true hands-free ADAS on the market. GM has incrementally expanded its Super Cruise network, most recently to 400,000 miles (640,000 kilometers), to include major Canadian, U.S. and state highways. Today’s expansion adds minor highways that typically connect smaller cities and townships. What exactly does that mean? Soon drivers will be able to drive hands-free between more rural towns across the country — connecting families and destinations alike. Adding minor highways to the network gives Super Cruise customers more variety and better coverage of hands-free driving, regardless of where they live, work or vacation. We expect this to excite Super Cruise customers, particularly those with compatible trailers who camp, boat, and use recreational vehicles. And adding Super Cruise with trailering to models like the 2024 Chevrolet Traverse or 2024 GMC Acadia will put Super Cruise in the hands (or should we say not in the hands...) of more customers with these passions — helping more GM drivers get to and from their destination more relaxed than ever before. Super Cruise Fast Facts Growing to about 750,000 miles of compatible roads across the U.S. and Canada, including divided highways, major and minor highways. Over 80% of surveyed owners with Super Cruise have said it makes driving more relaxing, and it’s the second most important reason for choosing a vehicle. The industry’s first — and largest — truly hands-free ADAS on the market, and the only to offer trailering capability. More than 160 million miles (257 million kilometers) have been driven accident-free with Super Cruise. New or enhanced features and capabilities since Super Cruise’s launch include: Lane Change on Demand Automatic Lane Change Enhanced Navigation Industry-First, and only, Hands-Free Trailering Collaborative Steering Enhanced Driver Requested Offset Improved Curve Handling The new roads have already started to be added incrementally over-the-air, at no additional charge, and will continue to be added through 2025. Most Super Cruise-equipped vehicles will receive this expansion except for the Cadillac CT6, Chevrolet Bolt EUV and Cadillac XT6. The average eligible vehicle will update its map within about one month of the GM brand site maps showing updated roads. Super Cruise is powered by OnStar connectivity. For more about Super Cruise and how it works visit GM.com/safedeployment.

This article originally appeared in Chevrolet's online magazine, New Roads Magazine. See the complete descriptions of each of these amazing drives at the link! No one knows the best hidden, winding, scenic roads like a Corvette owner. We got eight local Corvette clubs to spill their secrets when it comes to their favorite drives. This year, the Corvette marks its 70th anniversary. To honor this iconic sports car — and inspire you to explore somewhere new in your Corvette — we asked Corvette clubs around the country which cruises are their favorite and keep them coming back. From straights that’ll send your tachometer spinning to twists and turns where you can find that perfect apex, there’s something for everyone in each of these routes. Just make sure to stop and enjoy the scenery along the way, too. Albuquerque to Los Alamos For the New Mexico Corvette Club, heading into the mountains is the best way to find roads welcoming to Corvettes. Arkansas: AR-16 to AR-23 For a Corvette club based in northwest Arkansas, it's no wonder one of their favorite routes winds through the Ozark Mountains. Massachusetts: Quabbin Resevoir to Black Dog Bar & Grill Taking you through Massachusetts and Connecticut, this 75-mile route along winding two-lane roads is a favorite of the Eastern Massachusetts Corvette Club. West Virginia: Lewisburg to Thomas Winding its way from Lewisburg to Thomas, this favorite route of the Kanawha Valley Corvette Club samples some of the best of the Appalachian Mountains and ample opportunities for exciting driving. Nevada: Nevada State Highway 318 Twice a year this, this 90-mile stretch of road north of Las Vegas closes for the Nevada Open Road Challenge and the Silver State Classic Challenge. Montana: Missoula to Lochsa Lodge This route, a favorite of Hellgate Corvette Club, starts in Missoula and ends about 50 miles west at Lochsa Lodge. California: San Mateo to Santa Cruz It's only natural that one of the Northern California Corvette Club's favorite cruises runs along California 1. Georgia: Calhoun to Trenton To escape from traffic and tourists, the Classic Glass Corvette Club journeys up to Northwest Georgia for one of it's favorite routes.

Chevrolet’s fifth title sweep across NASCAR national ranks Chevrolet clinched the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championship at the drop of the green flag in the Round of Eight elimination race at Martinsville Speedway in October. This marks the third consecutive year, and 42nd time overall, that Chevrolet has won the prestigious title in NASCAR’s premier series. Chevrolet won its first manufacturer championship in the NASCAR Cup Series in 1958, later recording a streak of 13 consecutive titles between 2003 – 2015. In addition to its 42 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, Chevrolet has also amassed 851 victories and 33 driver championships in NASCAR’s premier series – continuing Chevrolet’s legacy as the winningest manufacturer in NASCAR. The accolade caps off a title sweep for Chevrolet across the NASCAR national ranks, with the manufacturer already clinching its 11th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Manufacturer Championship and 25th Bill France Performance Cup in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This marks Chevrolet’s fifth time sweeping the manufacturer championship titles across all three NASCAR national series – also accomplishing the feat in 2012, 2005, 1998 and 1996. “Chevrolet is honored to win the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championship for the third consecutive year and the 42nd time overall,” said Jim Campbell, GM’s U.S. vice president of Performance and Motorsports. “This title is the result of great teamwork by the Chevrolet drivers, crew chiefs and teams working tirelessly throughout the season.” The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season began with four consecutive trips to victory lane for the Camaro ZL1, marking the first time since 2001 that a manufacturer swept the first four races in a single season in the series. To date, seven drivers from five different Chevrolet teams have earned a combined 18 wins in 35 races including William Byron (six wins; series-leading); Kyle Larson (four wins); Kyle Busch (three wins); Ross Chastain (two wins); and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., AJ Allmendinger and Shane van Gisbergen (one win each). Corey LaJoie, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, and Erik Jones also contributed to the points total that led to the championship title. “Winning the Manufacturer Championship in the NASCAR Cup Series is a remarkable achievement,” said Megan Brobeck, GM Racing program manager for the NASCAR Cup Series. “We are very proud of the dedication and cooperation among Chevrolet’s teams and engineers, and their efforts all season long paid off with this special honor. Congratulations to all who contributed to the championship for this much-deserved accomplishment.”

Thanksgiving is a time for friends, family, and, of course, food! And one dish Washingtonians look forward to most? Green bean casserole! USA Today recently reported on the most looked up recipes for Thanksgiving side-dishes and green bean casserole takes the top spot in Washington State. These results seem slightly ironic since the traditional green bean casserole only requires 4 common pantry items thrown together and baked for a while, but no one can argue that it is definitely a comfort food. Is green bean casserole on the table at your Thanksgiving dinner? Take your casserole up a notch by making it from SCRATCH...no canned cream of mushroom soup or green beans. Not only will it be healthier, this Creamy Green Bean Casserole recipe will appease the most refined tastes...and even includes homemade "fried" onions.

The new autonomous vehicle service will begin in early 2026 The Origin vehicle — developed by GM, Cruise and Honda — will be made in the U.S. We’re marching toward a future with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. But this future is only possible if we take big, bold leaps outside of traditional transportation. That’s why we’re committed to safely deploying autonomous vehicles on a global scale. And why in 2016 we invested in Cruise, the San Francisco-based company leading the way when it comes to electric autonomous vehicles. Front 3/4 view of the Japan market Origin Today we’ve reached another milestone in our journey to bring autonomy to the world. Alongside Cruise and Honda we have announced a memorandum of understanding to establish a new joint venture (JV) company to launch a driverless ridehail service in Japan starting in early 2026. “GM has always been invested in defining the future of transportation and that’s more true today than ever,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. “The benefits of AVs — from safety to accessibility — are too profound to ignore and through this important partnership with Cruise and Honda, we’re bringing forward innovation that leverages our expertise in cutting-edge software and hardware to help more people around the world get where they need to go.” The opportunity for the ridehail service in Japan, which is expected to be the first of its kind, is huge. Japan has the potential to be one of the largest driverless ridehail markets in the world as large cities experience high demand for taxis. The region also has a growing need for new forms of transportation, with ongoing driver shortages and an increasing need for accessible forms of transportation. To address these needs, the JV will leverage the Origin, a people-centric vehicle co-developed by GM, Cruise and Honda specifically for autonomous transportation. The vehicle allows for six passengers to sit face-to-face, enabling customers to comfortably travel in a new way. “There is an important and growing societal need for safe and accessible transportation in Japan that autonomous vehicles can provide a solution for,” said Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt. “In addition to societal impact, the business opportunity is also exciting, as Japan represents one of the largest potential autonomous vehicle ridehail markets in the world, with many dense, highly populated cities that have high transportation needs.” In developing the Origin, GM, Cruise and Honda each brought our unique skillsets and talents to the manufacturing, software and development process. GM will manufacture approximately 500 Origins for the launch of this new JV at Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Michigan, the launchpad for GM’s multi-brand EV and AV future. “Honda is striving to create the ‘joy and freedom of mobility.’ Through our driverless ride service with Cruise and GM, we will enable customers in Japan to experience a new value of mobility, improve the quality of their mobility experiences and offer the joy of mobility,” said Global CEO of Honda Toshihiro Mibe. “This will be a major step toward the realization of an advanced mobility society. Providing this service in central Tokyo where the traffic environment is complex will be a great challenge, however, by working jointly with Cruise and GM, Honda will exert further efforts to make it a reality.” We believe autonomous vehicles can transform the way people move around the world. We’ve only just begun to see this with Cruise ridehail services in San Francisco, Austin and Phoenix accumulating 5 million driverless miles and over 100,000 five-star rides. We’re excited to work with Cruise as they launch autonomous vehicles in 12 additional announced markets in the U.S. and customers take their first rides and experience the future of transportation.

As we transition from summer to fall weather and temperatures begin to drop, you might be in the mood for some outdoor adventures. And every outdoor adventure requires a snack for energy! This recipe for protein packed fall trail mix is exactly what you need for your next bike ride, hike, or whatever you like to do! This Fall Trail Mix Recipe is easy and will have you in the autumn spirit in no time! You'll need: -Pecans -Olive Oil -Rosemary -Sea Salt -Beef Jerky -Dried Pears -Dried Cranberries Get the complete directions for this Fall Trail Mix at Yummly and enjoy your fall snack!

As the sixth-generation Chevy Camaro comes to a close, we look at what inspired its brilliance. This story originally appeared in the Chevy's online magazine, New Roads. In 2012, as development began on the sixth generation of Chevrolet’s Camaro, the team did what any team would do: look to previous generations with an eye toward moving Camaro’s story forward. The pony car’s fifth generation, which went into production in 2010, had done just that, kickstarting a new era for a storied nameplate that had been paused since production of the fourth gen ended in 2002. And now that the sixth generation is coming to an end, it’s a good time to tally up the accomplishments, and its place in history. Paying Tribute “I think we did a really good job on the sixth-generation Camaro, understanding that everything we touched harkened to the past generations as kind of a tribute,” says Al Oppenheiser, Camaro’s chief engineer for the fifth and sixth generations of the car. “We did something that appealed to every Camaro fan in some way or another, be it the special performance packages, a special color, a special trim level, the special editions.” CAMARO CLASSICS Six generations after the Chevy Camaro was introduced for the 1967 model year, the Camaro has maintained its DNA as a driver-centric sports car. GEN 1 CAMARO The Camaro kicked off its high-performance lineage with the Z28 package. GEN 3 CAMARO The third-generation Camaro saw the introduction of the 1LE package. GEN 6 CAMARO The latest Camaro pushed the envelope with the 1LE package and ZL1 model. One last special edition — the Collector’s Edition, inspired by the first-gen Camaro and the program’s initial code name, Panther — is on the way, with details to be released early this summer. It will continue the commitment to performance that the sixth generation will be remembered for, a commitment highlighted by more than 60 NASCAR Cup wins since 2018. Inspiration from the Past To unlock those performance chops, the Camaro team didn’t go all the way back to the beginning. They began by pulling inspiration from the 1980s, when Chevy’s third-generation pony car was struggling in the Showroom Stock road racing series. Engineers at the time began developing features that would boost Camaro’s track numbers. In 1989, Chevy introduced the 1LE package option for the Camaro, addressing the brake, fuel, and suspension systems and helping the Camaro find its way to the podium. THE CAMARO 1LE SS. The Camaro SS is one of the Camaro models offered with the 1LE package. This performance package adds Brembo ® brakes, summer tires, and dual-mode performance exhaust along with a front splitter and rear spoiler. Since then, the 1LE package has appeared off and on in the lineup, but for the sixth generation, the package’s features were expanded based on how it first appeared in 1989. On top of that, it was offered with every engine option, including a new turbocharged four-cylinder. With the turbocharged four-cylinder and the 1LE package option along with some track prep, you could drive your Camaro to the track, win races, and then drive it home at the end of the day. “Those are the kinds of things that we talked about on a daily basis,” says Oppenheiser, who has since moved on to work on GMC’s Hummer EV. “Everything had to have a functional or historical purpose, or we didn’t address it.” The original 1967 Camaro wasn’t ignored in sixth-generation planning. The first Camaro became known for its long dash-to-axle ratio — which resulted in its long hood — and a driver-centric experience. There were back seats, but they weren’t the focus: The driver’s seat was the focus, just as it would be in the sixth generation. Going Fast The sixth generation also produced the most track-capable Camaro ever, the 2018 Camaro ZL1 1LE. In addition to the latest ZL1’s supercharged 6.2L V8 engine churning out 650 horsepower, the 1LE package included improved aerodynamics, adjustable suspension, lightweight wheels, increased grip, and a decrease in the Camaro’s weight. With a final Collector’s Edition Camaro on the way, the team knows the heritage they have to uphold. That’s always been true. “Every time we came out with a different Camaro variant, there was this anticipatory time where people couldn’t wait to see it,” Oppenheiser says. “And then, of course, if we did a limited run, they would sell out right away.”

Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) rollout across new Ultium-based EVs anticipated by model year 2026 Expanding access to V2H technology will allow customers to experience even more EV benefits V2H technology offers customers greater control over energy management, helping to strengthen energy independence General Motors announced that it will expand vehicle-to-home (V2H) bidirectional charging technology across its retail portfolio of Ultium-based electric vehicles by model year 2026. The first vehicles to receive the technology include the previously announced 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST, followed by the 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1, 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV, 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ and the upcoming Cadillac ESCALADE IQ, which will be revealed on Aug. 9. Building on the company’s plan to deliver a growing suite of energy management products and services through GM Energy, V2H unlocks additional value for EV drivers, who will be able to transfer energy from their vehicles to a properly equipped home when desired. The technology allows consumers to store and transfer energy to help offset electricity needs during peak demand days and mitigate the impact of power outages, making the transition to an all-electric future even more compelling. “GM Energy's growing ecosystem of energy management solutions will help accelerate GM’s vision of an all-electric future by further expanding access to even more benefits that EVs can offer," said Wade Sheffer, vice president, GM Energy. “By integrating V2H across our entire Ultium-based portfolio, we are making this groundbreaking technology available to more consumers, with benefits that extend well beyond the vehicle itself, and at broader scale than ever before.” Customers will be able to leverage V2H technology on compatible GM EVs through GM Energy’s available Ultium Home offerings, and the GM Energy Cloud, a software platform which will allow users to manage the transfer of energy between applicable and connected GM Energy assets and the home. This announcement underscores GM’s holistic approach to energy management, leveraging the power of Ultium to introduce new technologies and innovative features for residential customers. Developing solutions for Ultium Home that pair with GM’s growing portfolio of EVs provides customers with more choices and greater value across vehicle categories and price points than ever before. Information on additional availability of V2H technology and specific timing of V2H rollout to individual vehicle models will be provided in future updates. Information about GM Energy and its ecosystem of available product and service offerings through Ultium Home, Ultium Commercial and Ultium Charge 360 can be found at https://gmenergy.gm.com/.

In hard-to-reach places hit by wildfires, the Earth finds a new friend — drones. This article originally appeared in Chevrolet's online magazine, New Roads. Having devoted his entire career to environmental sustainability, Grant Canary knew the direction that wildfires were trending was unsustainable. Data showed that wildfires in the U.S. were increasing in number and intensity, and destroying trees faster than new seedlings can be grown by traditional methods. So Canary set out to give nature a little technological help, founding a company called Mast Reforestation. Mast uses drones to strategically drop seeds in areas devastated by wildfire, pairing that approach with traditional reforestation methods. The drones used in reforestation are not the hummingbird-like machines you may have seen neighbors flying at the park. They’re more like cargo helicopters. “These aircraft are 8 feet in diameter, have six rotors, and carry 57 pounds of seed per aircraft,” Canary says. The drones use LiDAR (a remote sensing method like radar that uses a laser instead of radio waves) to build a three-dimensional map of the scorched terrain. Mast processes that data and selects spots that look promising for planting while avoiding inhospitable areas like gravel roads, blackberry patches, and rocks. The drones are then programmed with flight patterns and loaded with seeds. One operator pilots three to five pre-programmed drones — Mast calls them drone swarms — that move in concert, planting as they go. Drones work quickly and can easily reach remote and treacherous areas. “Traditional replanting can cover about one to two acres per day,” Canary says. “Aerial replanting is six times more efficient, depending on the ecosystem.” RE-TREES A look at some of the tree species Mast plants in its reforestation efforts. PONDEROSA PINE An easy way to identify a ponderosa pine is by smelling its bark — it carries the scent of butterscotch or vanilla. DOUGLAS FIR This type of fir is popular to use as Christmas trees and has extremely strong timber that’s good for construction. RED FIR Named for the color the bark becomes as it ages, red firs grow at a high elevation of 4,500–9,000 feet. WHITE PINE A fast grower, with height increases of more than 24 inches per year, white pines reach 50–80 feet. INCENSE CEDAR Named for the spicy aroma of the wood, incense cedars can reach ages of 500 years or more. WHITE FIR Another popular Christmas tree choice, white firs can thrive in harsh conditions and grow to 30–50 feet. SEED VESSELS Based in Seattle, Mast is one of several sustainability startups using drones to help regrow forests lost to wildfires. Developing the technology to spread seeds was relatively easy. The tricky part was coming up with a way to package the seeds that would allow them to take root and survive. Mast uses a specially designed mixture of seeds and nutrients wrapped in puck-like packages it calls seed vessels. One of the ingredients is a type of hot pepper that keeps squirrels and other herbivores from eating the potential trees for lunch. In September 2021, to help with the seed side of the business, Mast acquired Silvaseed, a 130-year-old seeding supply company. Canary says his company has expanded Silvaseed “to become the largest private seed bank west of Colorado.” Funding for reforestation projects comes from an array of sources, one of which is forestry and mining companies that are required to replant trees. Another funding tactic Mast uses is leveraging forward-looking carbon removal credits. Companies looking to reduce their future emissions help fund today’s reforestation projects. Canary points out that Mast uses aerial reseeding alongside traditional planting methods. “The two methods are used together to increase rates of success,” he says. While it’s not yet clear precisely how effective drone reforestation will ultimately be, any help will be a step in the right direction. “For a long time, I was intrigued by technologies that could remove carbon from the atmosphere and reduce carbon dioxide,” says Canary, whose résumé includes work with the U.S. Green Building Council and wind energy projects in China, Denmark, and the United States. “I came to the realization that the best technology is trees themselves, and they are the only currently viable method that is scalable and cost-effective.”