In Baltimori, Peru, we're often not starting with a bare patch on the map but we're mainly talking about enrichment planting in a secondary forest (a forest where only a few tree species grow as survival technique). With enrichment planting, we are speeding up the introduction of species of trees that are useful for human needs, including endangered species. When trees are planted in a secondary forest, a broader range of biodiversity is introduced back into the landscape sooner. In practical terms, straight trails are created through the secondary forest and trees are planted all along those trails. Because of the shade provided by the pioneer trees' canopy, these enrichment strips only need to be weeded once or twice a year, savings in work compared to planting trees on a bare plot, where weed growth can require monthly maintenance clearing. How do we work? Seeds are first collected in the nearby forests. When the seeds have grown into little plants, the plants are stored safely. Then, they go through a process of hardening, so that they have a higher survival rate. Finally, when the time is right during the rainy season, the seedlings are planted in nature. La Banda: On the map, the more southern parcel is called La Banda, covering approximately 7 hectares. It was the very first parcel planted with Go Forest’s support, with reforestation efforts beginning in the second half of 2021 and 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. 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. Ex Maxi: Further north on the map lies a smaller parcel known as Ex Maxi, spanning about 2.14 hectares. The land was previously deforested by its former owner for agricultural use, and was acquired by Camino Verde in 2022. The reforestation efforts were largely executed in 2024 (with some last trees planted in the beginning of 2025) and are focused specifically on the areas that had been cleared. Like La Banda, this parcel features a high planting density and a strong presence of leguminous tree species, prized for their ability to produce nitrogen-rich organic matter. In addition to flemingia, Ex Maxi also hosts a significant number of trees from the Calliandra genus—especially Calliandra angustifolia, known locally as bobinsana or qori sacha. This species is not only used medicinally in the Amazon, but is also beloved by pollinators and serves as a valuable tutor plant for supporting vine crops in agroforestry systems. While the species diversity in Ex Maxi is somewhat lower compared to other parcels—what we refer to as a "simple" agroforestry system—the species that are present are high performers. The system includes high carbon-density timber trees such as Moena naranja, Shihuahuaco, and Tahuarí, as well as fruit-bearing palms like Huasaí and Sinamillo, which also offer substantial carbon sequestration potential.

In Baltimori, Peru, we're often not starting with a bare patch on the map but we're mainly talking about enrichment planting in a secondary forest (a forest where only a few tree species grow as survival technique). With enrichment planting, we are speeding up the introduction of species of trees that are useful for human needs, including endangered species. When trees are planted in a secondary forest, a broader range of biodiversity is introduced back into the landscape sooner. In practical terms, straight trails are created through the secondary forest and trees are planted all along those trails. Because of the shade provided by the pioneer trees' canopy, these enrichment strips only need to be weeded once or twice a year, savings in work compared to planting trees on a bare plot, where weed growth can require monthly maintenance clearing. How do we work? Seeds are first collected in the nearby forests. When the seeds have grown into little plants, the plants are stored safely. Then, they go through a process of hardening, so that they have a higher survival rate. Finally, when the time is right during the rainy season, the seedlings are planted in nature.

On these reforestation sites in Peru, we sometimes reforest from the ground up, as you might imagine: a bare, completely deforested parcel is planted with seedlings that then fill in the bare area on the map with the greenery of tree canopies. In our case, this style of planting is carried out on some of our managed parcels that are bare due to the activities of the past owners – mainly, slash-and-burn agriculture. Many of the areas where planting occurs, however, already possess some kind of tree cover at the time of planting. In other words, we're not starting with a bare patch on the map. In this case, we're mainly talking about enrichment planting in a secondary forest (a forest where only a few tree species grow as a survival technique). With enrichment planting, we are speeding up the introduction of species of trees that are useful for human needs, including endangered species. When trees are planted in a secondary forest, a broader range of biodiversity is introduced back into the landscape sooner. In practical terms, straight trails are created through the secondary forest and trees are planted all along those trails. Because of the shade provided by the pioneer trees' canopy, these enrichment strips only need to be weeded once or twice a year, savings in work compared to planting trees on a bare plot, where weed growth can require monthly maintenance clearing How do we work? Seeds are first collected in the nearby forests. When the seeds have grown into little plants, the plants are stored safely. Then, they go through a process of hardening, so that they have a higher survival rate. Finally, when the time is right during the rainy season, the seedlings are planted in nature.

In Peru, the agroforestry project in cooperation with Camino Verde focuses on successional agroforestry (farming with trees). In successional agroforestry, you take into consideration not only the physical dynamics of a forest's shape (how trees grow with each other compatibly in space) but also the importance of the factor of time when designing your agroforestry system. Different species appear in the system (or disappear from the system) at different times. For example, in many successional agroforestry systems, annual or short-lived perennials (such as maize and bananas) are planted in the system at the beginning, later harvested, and then disappear from the system. Trees are planted at the beginning of the system's establishment, but other trees (especially shade-loving ones) are planted into the system later in its lifespan. In many of our agroforestry areas, we plant trees under the established canopy of trees that were planted back in the beginning of the system. Trees like cacao (Theobroma cacao) and huasaí (Euterpe precatoria) benefit from the forest-like conditions and do better when established in shade versus when established in a clear, open patch. As a result, we often plant trees in areas that already have some established trees, sometimes even 5- or 10-year-old trees as the canopy overhead. While many of the trees planted in the understory are relatively small (like cacao), others, like huasaí, grow up into the canopy eventually and are structurally compatible with interplanting among other trees. Huasaí is a palm tree and therefore always grows straight, never branching, allowing it to be placed in the system in a way that is harmonious with already established trees. In several areas, bananas are planted at the beginning of the system's life span. But these giant herbs are productive for only a few years and then are removed from the system. The gaps formerly occupied by the bananas are then planted with new trees, including large, long-lived species like Brazil-nut (Bertholletia excelsa).

In the course of 2026, these agroforestry trees will be planted in Loreto, Peru. The project is carried out in close cooperation with Camino Verde, working hand in hand with the Amazonian communities to strengthen local stewardship and long-term forest resilience. The trees will be planted across five communities. To support community-led implementation, planting workshops will be organized in each community, focusing on agroforestry techniques and sustainable land management. Once the planting has taken place, this section will be updated with planting information, including the species planted, images, and the geolocations of all sites.