Mission statement

Reforestation Now: Mission statement

Reforestation Now is a non-profit organisation that restores and extends forest ecosystems, in collaboration with the communities whose livelihoods and wellbeing rely on them. Centring local knowledge, needs and livelihoods, it works to reforest degraded and deforested land, with a particular emphasis on restoring biodiversity. Reforestation Now will start operating in Chile, where historical overexploitation and the changing climate are threatening native forests, and the biodiversity and local communities they support. Future projects will extend this approach to other countries in Latin America, and potentially beyond.


The organisation draws funding from two streams: scientific research councils and charitable foundations, on the one hand, and corporate donations provided as part of carbon offset programmes, on the other. Reforestation Now will become a certified carbon offset project, which will aid in raising funding.


Overall, Reforestation Now’s mission is to promote reforestation that is sensitive to local cultures and ecosystems, in support of broader efforts towards climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration.

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Our Three Main Goals

Research, community engagement and reforestation.

Research

Supports the development and dissemination of cutting-edge knowledge of forest ecosystems, local communities’ involvement with these, and the ways in which reforestation initiatives can support both.


Community Engagement

Ensures local communities are involved in the development and implementation of scientific knowledge, and that reforestation initiatives support local knowledge, needs and livelihoods. It also involves developing and sharing educational resources such as videos and teaching materials.


Reforestation

Both builds on and reinforces the previous two, through supporting research-informed, community-led projects to grow and plant trees. This involves establishing nurseries to grow climate-resilient native species, for planting in suitable deforested or degraded areas. The nurseries provide long-term local employment and a centre for investment in communities (e.g. as a base for scientific projects or community engagement).