FAQ

• Our climate project experts select the best restoration projects worldwide, usually reforestation, agroforestry, or mangrove projects.
• In Belgium and other European countries, the chosen project locations depend on the availability of privately owned land with motivated owners. Beyond the European borders, the land is usually owned by an environmental NGO or local/indigenous community.
• Trees are needed everywhere, but we always make sure to plant the right trees, in the right regions, with the right people, and using the right methods.

The choice of project can depend on your company’s DNA, story, campaign… anything you like; or the choice can be completely random. All of our projects are important, valuable, and worth your investment. Discover which project fits you best through our website or just by booking a call with us and we’ll help you find out!

• We would love to include every country on Earth in our portfolio, but we have to build our portfolio slowly as we grow so we can guarantee a minimum number of trees per project year after year. This is important because we want to support local livelihoods and create and secure jobs, and especially because we want to create perspective and be future-proof. We want to support sustainable development in every way possible, so we cannot accept a decline in the number of trees we can plant per project.
• Furthermore, we aim to guarantee the quality of each project we support. Therefore, we take our time carefully selecting the right projects to support, making sure the promises we make will be executed and regular quality checks are established.

• Planting trees locally in Belgium has several crucial benefits. Firstly, trees help improve local air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide and other pollutants while releasing oxygen. They also contribute to biodiversity by providing habitats for various species, supporting ecosystems, and promoting a healthier environment for wildlife. Moreover, trees play a role in mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They help in regulating local temperatures, reducing the urban heat island effect, and preventing soil erosion.
• On a global scale, planting trees is essential for several reasons. Trees act as carbon sinks, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, thereby helping to offset the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming. Forests also influence regional and global climates by affecting atmospheric moisture, temperature, and rainfall patterns. Furthermore, trees and forests support the livelihoods of communities around the world by providing resources such as timber, fruits, nuts, and medicinal plants. They also contribute to water conservation, prevent desertification, and support sustainable agriculture.
• By planting trees both locally and globally, we can address environmental issues on various scales, from enhancing local ecosystems to combating climate change on a broader, more impactful level. Each tree planted contributes to a healthier planet and a more sustainable future for all.

• The trees you order are planted during the current or next planting season. The planting season differs from project location to project location.
  • Europe: during Winter (November – March)
  • Armenia: during Spring and during Fall (around April, around October)
  • Argentina: during the rainy season (October – March)
  • Brazil: during the rainy season (October – March/May, depending on the exact location)
  • Peru: during the rainiest season (November – May), but enough rain year-round
  • Madagascar: during the rainy season from (November – April), but depending on the actual rain fall
  • DR Congo: during the rainy season (in March or in November), but depending on the actual rain fall
  • Tanzania: during the rainy season (mid March – May, November – mid January), but depending on the actual rain fall
• Since some of our projects don’t sell out, it might be possible that you’re buying trees that have been planted a while ago. As they were pre-financed and will still need further support growing up, we still want to give them the financing they need. If this is the case, we will always inform you beforehand.

In every project, we work with a diverse mix of native and climate-resilient tree species. We want to create diverse and resilient forests, that continue to grow through the next decades.

• Regarding the environment, every restoration project has a positieve impact on biodiversity, carbon storage, landscape, and wildlife.
• Additionally, in every project, we work with local people to take care of the nursing, planting, maintenance, and monitoring of the new trees. The projects create and secure jobs with fair wages, include productive trees that can be harvested, and offer education and training in the restoration activities.

• Implementing maintenance and monitoring mechanisms to track the growth and health of trees post-planting is crucial. Regular maintenance, including watering, protection from pests, and disease control, can significantly improve survival rates.
• The choice of a mix of native or appropriate tree species that are well-suited to the local environment and ecosystem helps to ensure their survival and contribution to the ecosystem. Additionally, a well chosen low-risk planting site (based on factors like soil type, climate, and water availability) positively affects the trees’ ability to thrive. Lastly, fire corridors are established to mitigate fire risks.
• The land ownership — and, therefore, the protection on the long term — is fixed in contracts with land owner, NGOs, or indigenous communities.
• By creating awareness and educating, training, and involving the local communities, we can secure a good future for the forests. Local involvement fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility. It can lead to care and protection of the planted trees, even long after the projects were finished.
• Go Forest adapts to changing environmental conditions and learns from past experiences to help refine strategies for future tree planting projects, improving the projects’ sustainability.

• The duration of maintenance and monitoring period differs from project location to project location. In temperate regions, we usually maintain the trees for 10 years and guarantee monitoring and protection for 30 years. In our tropical regions, we usually maintain the trees for 5 years and execute monitoring and guarding rounds for 10 years.
• Of course we do everything we can to ensure forest health, protection, and survival beyond these fixed periods.

• All of our projects are thoroughly screened. As a part of the selection process, we check which accountability mechanisms are in place locally to guarantee that each tree is planted and well maintained.
• During and after planting, the projects are followed up on a regular basis by the Go Forest team and a team of freelancers who are active in many countries throughout the world. We check our own projects through satellite imagery and schedule regular visits to our projects during which we randomly select plots for tree counting and follow-up.
• Every project is mapped on our impact platform, where the general public can track the growth of the forests, retrieve the exact location of the project, and follow up on the progress measured on the field.
• Still in doubt? Go there and check for yourself!

• Go Forest aims for a tree survival rate of 100% in year 1 (after replanting activities) and 80% in the long term.
• There are always young trees that die in the first year. These will all be replanted in the first year after planting, so that we start with a solid base. After a while, it is very common for the survival rate to be lower than 100% as planted trees can take up a lot of space. As a result, not all trees have enough space to grow and only the strong survive. This is not something bad, because during the forest natural growth, extensive fauna and flora will develop next to and under the trees. Smaller shrubs and plants will also enjoy the biodiversity the trees bring and a healthy forest remains.
• In each project undertaken, meticulous consideration is given to site selection, favoring areas with minimal susceptibility to catastrophic events. Risk mitigation strategies are implemented with precision. For example, we avoid tree planting in regions highly prone to forest fires. In instances where planting in fire-sensitive areas is unavoidable or necessary and valuable for nature, the deployment of fire corridors and the implementation of forest maintenance practices are diligently executed to curtail risks.
• It is imperative to acknowledge, however, that certain uncontrollable events such as floods or conflicts may arise, compromising the viability of the forest. In circumstances deemed as force majeure, Go Forest expressly disclaims liability for any resultant loss of the forest, recognizing the limitations imposed by unforeseeable and insurmountable external factors.

• around 50% —> preparation, nursing, planting, and maintenance of the plantation
• around 25% —> monitoring and reporting on the plantation via digital tools and technology
• around 25% —> marketing, awareness creation, and overhead
  

• We monitor forests rather than individual trees due to the intricate, interconnected nature of these ecosystems. Forests represent long-term, complex systems where trees coexist in a delicate balance, influencing each other’s growth and survival.
• By focusing on the forest as a whole, we can grasp the health of the entire ecosystem, ensuring its resilience and sustained vitality. While individual trees are crucial, the emphasis on forests allows us to observe patterns, like an approximate 80% survival rate or the natural cycle of birth and death within the broader context. This approach facilitates a deeper understanding of ecological dynamics, enabling us to implement measures that support not just singular trees but the enduring health and diversity of the entire forest ecosystem.

Tree planting is valuable (carbon sequestration, oxygen production, temperature regulation…), but it’s not a standalone solution to climate change. It’s most effective when combined with efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve existing forests, and transition to sustainable practices.

• By integrating tree planting initiatives in cooperation with local communities, we can address several SDGs simultaneously, creating a more holistic and sustainable approach to environmental conservation and community development.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: Tree planting is a powerful tool to combat climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide and mitigating the effects of greenhouse gases.
• SDG 15: Life on Land: Reforestation efforts directly align with this goal by promoting the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. Planting trees helps preserve biodiversity, restore degraded lands, and protect habitats for various species, supporting overall ecosystem health.
• SDG 1: No Poverty and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: Involving local communities in tree planting can create job opportunities and promote sustainable livelihoods. This engagement can generate income through activities like seed collection, nursery management, planting, and maintenance of trees.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: Trees play a role in watershed management, aiding in water retention and quality. Planting trees in degraded areas can help restore natural water cycles, reducing soil erosion and improving water availability.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: Collaborating with local and/or indigenous communities ensures their active participation, respect for traditional knowledge, and inclusion in decision-making processes. Empowering these communities creates a more equitable distribution of benefits from environmental initiatives.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: Reforestation contributes to sustainable land management and resource use. It promotes responsible production practices by emphasizing the importance of preserving and restoring ecosystems for future generations.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: Collaboration between local communities, indigenous groups, governments, NGOs, and businesses is crucial for successful reforestation efforts. Creating partnerships fosters knowledge exchange, resource sharing, and joint action towards achieving common goals.
  

• Our trees in Belgium are mainly planted when the best conditions arise for our saplings to thrive. This means that we can often not guarantee an exact planting date and thus opportunities for participation in the tree planting are rather limited for our members. However, plenty of other activities (including also symbolic tree planting) can be organised. Let us know about your needs and we’re happy to brainstorm with you or prepare you a special offer.
• Besides that, in Belgium, we sometimes offer opportunities for volunteering or participating in a variety of activities of Go Forest. Keep an eye out on our social media or our newsletter to follow when opportunities arise. If you’re looking for something more specific, we do recommend to check with international organisations specialized in volunteering.
• In our projects in the global South, we wish to create as many local jobs (and thus positive social impact) as possible, so volunteers for tree planting activities are usually not required. When volunteering opportunities do arise in our projects abroad, a more extensive period of time is required (minimum of 3 months) and specific skills are sought after (HR, IT, (digital) marketing or research & development).

Go Forest continuously shares knowledge about reforestation and the broader topic of climate action via its newsletters, news posts, LinkedIn, and Instagram page.