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Reforestation is one of the main methods of restoring many damaged ecosystems, with Plant a Tree, you can bring vital forest habitats back to life.
WLT works with in-country partners to protect and expand forest reserves that are rich in biodiversity and that support long-term conservation goals. Our partners are involved in every step of the journey, to ensure that each tree thrives from seed to sapling and beyond.
All of WLT’s Plant a Tree projects are overseen by partners who know their local landscapes best. This allows us to select the right areas for reforestation and the right native tree species to plant.
Reforestation may include ‘active restoration’ through planting out tree seedlings as well as assisted natural regeneration.
Our reforestation programme has fundamental principles to support conservation and the creation of a wildlife-rich habitat which will benefit local communities, reconnect forest areas, and store carbon underground.
Our partners clear all surrounding grasses and other competing vegetation to prepare the land and increase survival rates for new trees.
The process then begins, in many reserves, with the collection of seeds to raise in the reserve’s nursery.
A mix of native pioneer species are selected. Each project balances tree species that are quick to establish, coping well in competition against invasive grasses, with slower-growing trees offering a high biodiversity value.
When they’re ready, saplings leave the nursery to be planted on-site, and once there, they’ll be nurtured to ensure successful establishment.
If any saplings do not survive, they will be replaced to guarantee your donation counts where it matters most.
Many trees grow quickly, and fruiting species will provide food for wildlife within just a couple of years. This not only provides vital nutrition but also encourages species back to areas that have suffered deforestation, restoring the biodiversity essential to a healthy natural world.
Many tree planting projects fail because there is no strict maintenance and monitoring in place once the sapling is in the ground. To secure long-term, successful reforestation, World Land Trust is committed to supporting the labour-intensive, time-consuming (and often costly) maintenance of reforested landscapes.
Every one of WLT’s Plant a Tree partners implement comprehensive maintenance and monitoring. They monitor and report on the survival rate of planted trees for up to 5 years after tree planting has occurred. After this time the trees are mature enough to see a reduction in natural mortality, allowing the Plant a Tree forests to flourish.
If you’d like further information on WLT’s habitat restoration work and the Plant a Tree programme, click here to view our FAQs
