The Role of Tree Tracking in Ecosystem Restoration

Forest conservation and sustainable management are critical to the health of our planet and its inhabitants. As an actor of the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration, Forestmatic is dedicated to promoting responsible ecosystem restoration practices that prioritise the well-being of both the environment and local communities. One of the ways we do this is through our innovative tree-tracking process.

At Forestmatic, this process begins at the seedling stage. Seeds are grown in specifically designed nursery hubs to develop their biomass until they become seedlings that can be planted. This growth period is the most threatening for any tree, as roots are still weak, and biomass is still fragile and open to the threats of natural hazards. Weeks after seedlings are planted, a trained tracking team takes captures of each and every seedling planted with a dedicated mobile app to allow a deeper assessment of planting operations. To date, more than 300.000 real photographs of Forestmatic trees have been taken, recording additional data points such as individual geo-information in the form of precise coordinates simultaneously. This data is stored in our database, allowing us to verify the conditions of each individual tree before commercialising its impact.

After this phase, the Forestmatic verification process starts. To ensure that our efforts will meet the desired outcome and forecasted impact, after obtaining images from all the trees we have planted, we analyse the data to assess tree status and quality conditions that must meet specific standards. When a tree doesn’t meet our standards it is not accepted into our system, and its impact won’t be commercialised. This means that only the trees in the best growing conditions, with a survival rate near 95% can be funded by our clients. On average, only 8% to 10% of all trees planted are not commercialised.

As the trees mature, they are closely monitored by our partners on the ground to ensure that they are being sustainably managed for the remainder of their carbon sequestration period. This translates into years of working opportunities and financial support for local communities, alongside workshops and training sessions to grow their expertise in sustainable restoration practices.

To close the loop, after our verification process, we plan to implement our own long-term monitoring process. Recently we conducted internal research and testing for the implementation of remote monitoring and earth observation techniques, in order to provide the best monitoring solution to transparently report the impact of ecosystem restoration investments. This not only will benefit the environment and local communities but will also help us to provide our clients and their stakeholders with even higher-quality, high-integrity investments that result in near-real-time data and engaging, actionable touchpoints.

Learn more about the Journey of our Trees, current Tree Planting Projects, and view every tree planted with Forestmatic on our Tree Tracker.