Chaeyoung Lee ’26, Computer Science

Chaeyoung Lee ’26

Trees play a big role in the decarbonization of cities by sequestering and storing carbon. However, in order to make accurate estimates of carbon emissions in urban areas and the amount of carbon stored in urban greenery, a comprehensive survey of urban trees is needed. Thus, we developed an open-source geotagged tree dataset in the city of Chennai, India. Our methodology involves taking a random sample of plots in the city, from which GPS and tree physical measurement data are systematically collected. Subsequently, we developed a website to display the geospatial tree data on an interactive map that allows users to explore our collected data as well as submit entries to add to the growing dataset. Developing the automated real-time updating website allowed me to learn full-stack development. This process involved setting up a database to store the tree data, setting up the back-end to allow data submissions and retrieval and designing the front-end to display a visually appealing website with an interactive map and submission form.