CommuniTree

CommuniTree is the largest reforestation initiative in Nicaragua. This particular project by Taking Root and local implementation partner APRODEIN removes CO2 from the atmosphere, restores ecosystems, and improves the livelihoods of communities while mitigating climate change.

Taking Root’s purpose is to accelerate the restoration of the world’s forests. Much of the land best suited to reforestation is owned and managed by smallholder farmers. Yet these farmers have often struggled to access the carbon market, causing them to favour other opportunities. Taking Root's goal is for farmers to benefit from the growing of trees in the short, medium and long-term. That way, we can restore ecosystems, improve lives, and combat climate change.

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• The project promotes biodiversity by planting trees on degraded and existing farmland in a country experiencing some of the highest rates of annual deforestation in the world.
• Reforestation plans are designed to provide benefits to farmers, either through sustainable timber management or agroforestry.
• Supports local biodiversity by only planting native tree species on degraded land.
• Reforestation promotes water and soil quality by increasing local evaporation and reducing erosion. Trees also increase the amount of carbon and other nutrients stored in soil, supporting local ecosystems and livelihoods.
• The project has created more than 200 permanent jobs and thousands of seasonal jobs across Nicaragua.
• The project provides 60% of the revenue from carbon credit sales to participating farmers, providing an additional income stream and building community support.

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The CommuniTree Carbon Program enables farmers in Nicaragua to benefit from growing trees through the creation of forest carbon removals. The project does this by combining a community led approach with best practice forestry techniques and cutting-edge technology. Farmers are engaged over a 10-year period to help them grow trees in a way that is beneficial to them . In the short term, they benefit through the sale of carbon credits, and in the long term, through new sustainable sources of income from the products they create from their forests. In 2019, CommuniTree became the single largest reforestation initiative in Nicaragua.

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During a trip to Nicaragua, Kahlil Baker had a vision of growing trees in a way which brought value to farmers. He returned to Canada to found Taking Root, and a year later, trees were being planted by farmers. Since then, they have scaled operations, strengthened methodologies, and created a technology platform to solve the logistical and reporting challenges they faced.

Community-led implementation is a guiding principle of CommuniTree. Farmers who participate in the project take a leading role, while the interventions are designed to complement local habitats, communities, and livlihoods.

CommuniTree benefits from Taking Root’s technology platform. This is used to register and recruit farmers, monitor tree growth, and calculate carbon sequestration. This streamlines the process of creating transparent and robust forest carbon removals that are recognised by the market.

The project is designed to provide long-term value to farmers, ensuring trees stay in the ground and creating durable carbon removals.

A few key accomplishments so far:

• United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration - In 2021, CommuniTree was featured by the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration as one of its Founding 50 implementers, demonstrating its status a model for scaling community-led natural climate solutions.
• The World Economic Forum - Taking Root won the Carbon Market Innovation Challenge led by World Economic Forum's Natural Climate Solutions Alliance and 1t.org. The World Economic Forum also created a video about CommuniTree.
• Plan Vivo - The CommuniTree Carbon Program has been a certified Plan Vivo project since 2010 and conforms to the V4.0 Standard. It is also Plan Vivo’s largest reforestation project.
• CommuniTree has been included in the strategy of a market leader, Microsoft.

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