La Joya is Camino Verde's younger reforestation center, established in 2017, a decade after Camino Verde Baltimori was founded. The site hosts our technical partner's largest tree nursery, supplying seedlings to farmers, native communities, researchers, NGOs, government projects, and the local municipality for urban tree planting in Puerto Maldonado. La Joya produces over 100 tree species each year, with capacity for 100,000 seedlings at a time. It is also the main location for farmer-facing workshops on tree nursery management, agroforestry, and Melipona beekeeping, and offers paid internships to Indigenous women in native species propagation and integral nursery management. The demonstration areas at La Joya showcase native species diversity across both agroforestry and reforestation plots. Over 200 tree species have been registered on site, part of the Living Seed Bank program for the conservation and propagation of native species. This diversity is the result of years of restoration work. When our local partner took over the site, it showed the effects of decades of cattle farming: compacted soils, annual burning, and invasive exotic grass that choked out young trees. Rebuilding La Joya took sustained management. Even now, a significant share of the trees planted on site serve to rehabilitate the soil, generating organic matter quickly to support the rest of the planting. Between 2021 and 2026, 67401 trees were planted at La Joya with the help of Go Forest clients, through two approaches, agroforestry and reforestation, covering 167 species in total. Reforestation species planted include Palo brasil, Caoba, Tahuari amarillo, Huayo blanco, Tahuarí flor negro, Shihuahuaco, Bolaina, Espintana, Yacushapana, Shaena, Palisangre, Cedro, Pashaco, Puma quiro, Palo capitán, Quillabordon, Ajosquiro, Requia, Courbaril, Oreja negra, Capirona, Tornillo, Misa, and Quinilla.

In Baltimori, on a parcel called La Banda, covering approximately 7 hectares, 23,874 trees were planted with the help of Go Forest clients. Reforestation efforts began in the second half of 2021 and were completed by the end of 2024. This site boasts a wide diversity of native species. Notable highlights include rosewood, cacao, and several aromatic relatives of rosewood that hold promising potential for the fragrance industry. A particularly dominant species in this parcel is Flemingia macrophylla, locally known simply as flemingia. Though it's a relatively small tree, it plays a powerful role in the ecosystem. Flemingia is a prolific producer of organic matter and mulch, and also contributes by fixing nitrogen, attracting pollinators with its flowers, and possibly even improving soil health through its anti-nematode properties. In total, 28 different species have been planted on this parcel. Alongside rosewood, cacao, and flemingia, other species include Huasaí, Bobinsana, Espintana, Cinamillo, Moena Naranja, Huayo Blanco, Cacahuillo, Shihuahuaco, Coca, Hungurahui, Moquete de Tigre, Copoazú, Copaiba, Copal, Sachavaca papaya, Caoba, Canela Moena, Estoraque, Chimicua, Palta moena, Guanabana, Gustavia, Arazá, and Limoncillo. What enables such a large number of flemingia trees to thrive in this parcel is a unique management technique known as radical pruning. Once a year, the trees are pruned back to tall stumps, and the resulting biomass is used as a nitrogen-rich mulch to cover and enrich the soil. While this method prevents the trees from growing large enough to store significant carbon in their trunks, it allows them to make meaningful contributions to soil carbon and overall soil fertility. Their rapid growth also makes them excellent tutor trees, helping to create a humid, shaded microclimate that supports the early development of more sensitive tree seedlings. The process begins with seed collection in the nearby forests. Once seeds have grown into seedlings, they are stored safely and go through a hardening process to improve their survival rate once planted. When the rainy season arrives, the seedlings are planted out into nature.

Samen met Boom2 zetten we een belangrijke stap richting een rijker en veerkrachtiger landschap in Pittem (West-Vlaanderen). Op een site van 0,33 ha vergroot dit project de lokale bosoppervlakte en versterkt het de klimaatbestendigheid van de regio, met een duidelijke focus op biodiversiteitsherstel. Voor de inrichting van het perceel werken we samen met Bosgroep Limburg. Zij stellen een gedetailleerd aanplantplan op waarbij 560 inheemse boom- en plantensoorten worden geselecteerd. Zo ontstaat een robuust ecosysteem waarin flora én fauna zich volop kunnen ontwikkelen, een gezonde leefomgeving voor mens en natuur. Meer updates volgen na de aanplant.

Vin du Pays de Herve is a cooperative started in 2017, a project where locals invested in building a local vineyard. They aim to create over 10ha of bio vineyard, with respect for the environment and biodiversity. The head of the farming operations currently aims to reshape the vineyard to further promote biodiversity. This will be done through: • Planting tiered hedges along the edges of the plots (as a shelter for foxes, birds, and other animals), thereby doubling certain existing hedges and creating new ones • Create flowered strips along the edges of the plots to attract more bees. • Further vegetation creation on slopes to prevent erosion, installing ponds, increasing the number of perches,.... • Improve collaboration with local shepherds to control weed growth and with a local beekeeper for the installation of beehives. We aim to support this project by helping to fund the plantation of 5794 trees in the season of 2024-2025, many of which will be hedges. Various native species will be used in five nearby sites. In addition to its obvious ecological importance for biodiversity (animal habitats, soil conservation, water management, air quality), there are many other social, landscape, tourism and economic benefits. Vin du Pays de Herve wants to connect the plots to existing hiking trails and create educational panels on animal life (wildlife, small animals, insects) and local flora. Several hiking trails already run along the vineyard plots and one of them, 22 km long, goes around them. In addition, a winery is an important living and meeting place suitable for organizing events, trainings, facility visits, vineyard presentations, etc. Vin du Pays de Herve has already applied for public subsidies for the planting of hedgerows, but this support will not be sufficient to implement the entire project. Moreover, they do not have all the technical expertise required for this development. This is also why there’s a collaboration with Go Forest and technical partner Sylva Nova. Plantation updates: - Planting period: The trees were planted between March 25 and April 1, 2025. - 5794 trees were planted, of which 2701 were funded through Go Forest: Species included 22% field maple, 16% hornbeam, 15% hawthorn, 10% guelder rose, 10% Cornelian cherry, 5% alder buckthorn, 5% spindle, 5% bird cherry, 3% dog rose, 2% fly honeysuckle, and smaller proportions of elder, rowan, sessile oak, bloodtwig dogwood, hazel, eared willow, white willow, Norway maple, sweet chestnut, pedunculate oak, pear, apple, and walnut. - Monitoring summary: Trees were planted in double or triple staggered rows over 1,720 meters. The terrain was occasionally rocky but did not significantly hinder progress. - Maintenance: Future clearing will be done if herbaceous vegetation competes too strongly with the young trees.

The project: In Caleruega (Burgos), Spain, the project of 1700 trees was started in the Spring of 2023. The largest part of the trees is Quercus Ilex. Local row tillage was chosen for soil preparation, since the plot was previously an agricultural field, resulting in compacted soil when it was abandoned. This soil preparation also favors the development of the root system and water retention. The trees are planted at a distance of 5 m from each other along the row. Degradable plastic protection is installed for each tree to protect it from play and make it grow in height instead of width. A wooden stick is installed for each tree to support the seedlings as they grow. The trees used in this plantation were before mycorrhized to promote the production of black truffles. Thanks to this more developed root system and the symbiosis with the mushroom the trees will be more resistant to hot temperatures and drought. Maintenance and monitoring: Any dead plants will be replanted, they want to reach a 100% recovery rate. Over the next three years, weeds around the tree will be removed to avoid competition with the tree and to encourage the tree's growth. Local tilling of the soil each winter to encourage air exchange and the production of larger truffles.

Tórtoles de Esgueva is a municipality in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain, situated at 930 meters above sea level on the limestone moorland of the Castilian plateau. The soils are basophilic with calcium carbonate stones, and the native vegetation is dominated by Quercus ilex forest, with scattered Juniperus thurifera and shrub species including Rosa canina, Prunus spinosa, and Rhamnus saxatilis. The project site had been under dry-land cereal and legume cultivation for over 70 years, replacing a native Quercus ilex forest. This land use was ecologically unproductive and reliant on agrochemicals. The plantation aims to restore native forest cover through a sustainable truffle-producing agroforestry system, delivering benefits including soil restoration, carbon storage, elimination of agrochemical inputs, and long-term economic value through Tuber melanosporum production. Plantation updates: - Planting date: March–April 2025. - 1,600 trees planted, of which 984 trees sponsored by Go Forest clients: 100% Quercus ilex, mycorrhized with Tuber melanosporum, at 400 plants/ha over 4 hectares - Seedling quality: Two-year-old mycorrhized seedlings from Viveros Fuenteamarga (Valladolid), with a mean height of 36 cm, mean stem diameter of 6.8 mm, and an average mycorrhization rate of 29%. - Site preparation: Cross subsoiling and shallow tillage, with a 5 x 5 m planting spacing. Fencing and an irrigation system were installed to mitigate wildlife browsing risk during establishment. - Maintenance planned: A 5-year silvicultural plan includes soil tillage in 2025; irrigation and replacement of dead plants in 2026–2027; and pruning from 2028 onwards. - Future outlook: The plantation is managed under a 40-year continuous canopy forest plan, with natural regeneration expected after approximately 30 years. A truffle-growing school and guided visits are planned to support knowledge transfer and local engagement.

Cepan and Go Forest were able to plant 0,64 hectares in Paraíba state, using the direct seeding technique. The areas chosen for the planting site are located inside the territory of Japungu Agroindustry, a sugarcane plant, where Cepan has worked for more than 10 years. The Japungu is a long-time partner of Cepan for restoration purposes, being one of the most important sugarcane plantations in Brazil. The Japungu plant is in an area that is emblematic for biodiversity conservation, where our project aims to connect two protected areas in the region where threatened species occur – The Pacatuba-Gargaú Corridor. There, among many other species we have the Red Handed Howling Monkey (Alouatta belzebul) and the Blonde Capuchin Monkey (Sapajus Flavius) still in large numbers, in a fragmented landscape. Our goal is to connect those forests to bring more habitats for those and other species of the region. The sites are areas around the Fazenda Pacatuba Protected Area, that contribute to the preservation of the monkey species and enhance the structural connectivity of the landscape. SEED COLLECTION Our local partners spend 2-3 months on native species’ seed collection and processing. Seed collection is crucial for restoration efforts using direct sowing techniques. The team works with 11 seed collectors in Paraíba, maintaining a list of species and quantities for collection. Weekly monitoring is conducted remotely to track progress and adjust requests if targets aren't met. Additionally, the Maracajá Seed Collectors Group from Lagoa dos Gatos Municipality in Pernambuco State (formed and trained by Cepan technical team and one of the most prominent seed collectors of the Northeast of Brazil) has joined this effort. For this plantation, 48kg of seeds were used. We have also used green fertilizer species. Green fertilization has the role of establishing better microclimate conditions and improving soil quality, decreasing the competition with invasive grasses through a fast soil covering, and creating better conditions for native seeds to thrive in the planting. We used the Guandu bean (Cajanus cajan), Crotalária (Crotalaria ochroleuca), and Pork beans (Canavalia ensiformis). SOIL PREPARATION The selected areas are plowed 3 times before the planting operations, in intervals of 20 days. This step firstly eliminates the invasive grasses that may be competitors to the native trees that will be planted and unpacks the upper layer of the soil, making it more suitable for seed growth. Right after the plowing, the area was prepared by making planting grooves, with a distance of 1 meter between the lines. DIRECT SOWING The planting activities may take 2-7 days in each cycle, depending on the amount of trees ordered. The sowing on the planting sites was done manually, with the help of the field workers of Japungu Agroindustrial. The workers were trained in the quantities of muvuca in each meter of the row to be sown, and field security in the activity. The planting activity took place beginning in September 28th and ended on October 7th of 2024. TREE GROWTH Once the planting finishes, our team holds expeditions to monitor the restoration process. IN SUMMARY With this planting, we were able to involve 21 seed collectors, 1 tractor operator, 9 restoration workers, 4 environmental experts, and a team of 8 people providing technical and administrative support. This planting activity contributed to helping to improve the connecting biodiversity corridors for primate conservation. It also involved local labor, which means shared benefits to communities and the preservation of important areas.

Agroforestry — a farming system based on trees and their non-timber products — plays a key role in building a lasting relationship with local communities, whose involvement is essential to securing the future of the new forests. Close to the reforestation sites in Ingung Kapia, we have established an agroforestry coffee plantation where coffee plants are grown among the trees. We began developing this plot in 2023, marking an important step towards integrating sustainable agriculture with ecological restoration. Each hectare accommodates 625 shade-grown coffee plants, complemented by native reforestation species planted at 600 plants per hectare. This combined system mirrors the natural forest structure, protects the soil, and provides local communities with a diverse and sustainable source of income. Each hectare also creates employment opportunities for one local family, and in the long term, the harvested coffee can be sold at a fair price. The full plot spans 11 hectares, and our goal is to get it fully funded. By achieving this, we create a new sustainable economy in which people and nature can live in harmony, with greater self-reliance. The economic value of these non-timber products — in this case, coffee — is also a powerful incentive for farmers to move away from the most common agricultural practice across Congo: cutting and burning forests and vegetation to create open pastureland. While widespread, this slash-and-burn approach leads to severe soil erosion and the permanent loss of native vegetation. Agroforestry offers a viable and regenerative alternative.

This project is a reforestation project after silvicultural management. A surface of 4 hectares welcomed a 1300 trees plantation during winter 2020/2021 and 2021/2022. We planted 450 hybrid poplars (Populus deltoïdes x Populus nigra) during wintier 2020/2021 and the survival rate has been confirmed during summer/autumn 2021; we planted 850 sycomore maples (Acer pseudoplatanus) during 2021/2022 winter and are checked in the summer/autumn 2023. Three hectares are dedicated to low density poplar, allowing natural regeneration under poplar development; one hectare is converted to maple. The wide plantation allows the creation of a semi-open environment. Its short revolution allows the development of arbo and herbaceous strata often rich in insects and birds associated with open spaces. Lastly, the forest is managed through the PEFC Label.

Mangroves are an important piece of the ecosystem that offers much more than we can imagine. Besides being a great habitat for wildlife species and being great protection for coasts, it also is one of the greatest sources of carbon sequestration. Moreover, the mangroves provide spawning grounds for shrimps, crabs, and fish, supporting the local economy (45% of the seafood sold in Majunga, a city of 240,000 inhabitants located near the mangrove area, comes from these local communities). The mangrove forests in this area (Bombetoka Bay in the North-West of Madagascar), however, suffered a 34% loss between 1990 and 2000 (source: Report on the state of mangroves in Madagascar - WWF Madagascar) and this loss represents a significant threat to biological biodiversity and the living conditions of local communities. Today, the mangrove can no longer play its economic and social role, which justifies the search for initiatives and alternatives to revitalize this natural ecosystem. This revitalization should respond to the concern for the preservation and ecological balance of this environment that is so vital for the local populations. Mangrove species are planted according to the natural distribution, to ensure great adaptation and survival. We plant 50% Ceriops Tagal (Ceriops), also known as "Yellow mangrove" or "Spurred mangrove.". Ceriops is considered the female mangrove by the locals in Madagascar, due to its smaller propagules and less intricate roots. Depending on the area, this species is more or less spread, yet play a crucial role in the ecosystem. And we plant 50% Rhizophora Mucronata (Rhizo). Rhizophora Mucronata is a species of mangrove, commonly known as the "Red mangrove" or "Loop-root mangrove." One distinctive feature of Rhizo is its prop roots, which extend from the trunk and branches down into the mud or water. It is important to restore the mangrove forest... ...for the soil: Mangroves act as a buffer zone between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, ensuring the stability of both environments, preserving and restoring them is essential to protect coasts against waves and cyclones; prevent erosion; and regenerate soils. ...for biodiversity: Mangrove restoration promotes ecological balance by preserving natural habitats and ensuring the survival of plant and animal species specific to the ecosystem. Moreover, they serve as crucial areas for the reproduction and activity of various species such as crabs, shrimp, and fish, contributing to the sustainability of these populations.