Community Carbon Trees in Costa Rica: What We Do

WHAT WE DO: Create Habitat for flora and fauna in danger of Extinction

Community Carbon Trees is a reforestation company that creates mixed forests planted in Costa Rica for carbon sequestration. These forests enable people and companies anywhere in the world to take responsibility for their personal contributions to the climate crisis by sponsoring the planting of trees in an easy and economical way. But beyond that, they are designed to synchronize solutions to a number of inter-related objectives concerning local environment and social development issues.

Community Carbon Trees uses diverse plantings of native trees and plants closely replicating a natural forest matrix. They are planted exclusively on degraded farmlands owned by local Costa Ricans (Ticos) and are protected in perpetuity through Registered Conservation Easements which run with the land title to all third parties. Community Carbon Trees provide synchronized solutions by:

providing habitat and food sources for wildlife and migratory bird species
creating biological corridors for wildlife and species survival
protecting and restoring rivers, streams and natural water springs
stabilizing and repairing damaged lands to prevent landslides
making reforestation of degraded pasture land economically viable for the Tico owners
providing local Tico farmers with a way to earn good income off their land without engaging in destructive farming practices
providing alternative sustainable sources of tropical hardwoods through selected thinning and continued management to improve growth rates and carbon sequestration potential
encouraging local Tico farmers to forego selling their land to developers in favour of alternative income sources

Your contribution of $25 US per tree covers all of the above plus:

seed collection of rare, native species through to sapling production
design and preparation of planting sites
tree planting and 3 years of regular maintenance by Community Carbon Trees crews
22 years continued maintenance by the landowner
yearly agronomer visits for 25 years
protection of the forest in the National Registry

There is no limit to the number of trees you can plant. For multiple orders or to dedicate entire forest of Community Carbon Trees, please contact us at: communitycarbontrees@gmail.com

WHAT WE DO
In Detail

1. What is the Community Carbon Trees for Carbon project model?
2. What types of trees are you planting?
3. When are the trees planted?
4. How are the trees planted?
5. What risks do the trees face?
6. Do you guarantee my 100 trees?
7. How am I assured of continued good management of my trees?
8. Can I claim my trees as a charitable tax deduction?
9. Can I expect to receive a cash return on my investment?

1. What is the Community Carbon Trees project model?

Community Carbon Trees is a registered Costarican Corporation made up of experienced Tico workers and agroforestry experts under the direction of Jennifer Smith and Juan Mendiola. Potential participant landowners are interviewed and selected on a discretionary basis according to evaluating criteria that include: location and condition of the land to be reforested; how many Community Carbon Trees objectives can be accomplished by the reforestation; the owner’s standing in the local community; their understanding of and willingness to abide by the process and agreements; their ability to maintain the trees after the first three years; and their desire to keep their land and develop alternative income streams.

Each Costa Rican family farm participating in the program agrees to let Community Carbon Trees plant and manage at least 5000 trees in a 5 hectare plot, with appropriate legal protections and consequences for failure to comply with the terms of the 25 year program. Protection of the forest in the National Land Registry, and comprehensive legal agreements outlining the full lifespan of the project complete the sign-up process with the Tico host family.

Land prepared for planting.

Pre-planting design of all projects is done with input from the Tico host farm family and places emphasis on restoring deforested river zones and watersheds, producing food for humans and animals, connecting fragmented patches of rainforest to provide species habitat, preventing erosion and landslides on deforested slopes, repairing degraded lands, and producing forest products. We plant a mixed forest of at least 50 different species of native and rare hardwoods, medicinal and fruiting trees, especially those in danger of extinction.

Community Carbon Trees builds any necessary fences to protect the young saplings before planting begins. The tree saplings are produced by Community Carbon Trees nurseries, which are in turn supported by networks of Tico seed collectors in order to maintain the highest diversity levels for planting zones.

Site preparation and clearing is done before the planting of the young trees begins in June, just as the rainy season is getting underway. Community Carbon Trees work crews are also responsible for the maintenance and fertilization of the trees for two to three years until they are large enough to survive on their own.

After the trees have been released from ongoing active Community Carbon Trees maintenance at Year 4, the host farm Tico family assumes obligation of maintaining the trees with rights to collect and sell fruits and medicines. The host Tico family must maintain all fences built throughout the life of the project. Yearly visits by agronomers to all host farms are built into the 25-year program in order to insure optimum tree survival rates and compliance with the project terms.

Because high levels of “air cleansing” carbon sequestration depend on optimal tree growth rates, Community Carbon Trees will be managing the trees for a 25 year cycle, allowing the Tico host family to harvest and sell some wood from strategic tree thinning over the life of the project, as directed by an agronomer. Thinning trees is a constructive practice to make the remaining trees grow even bigger, thus achieving more volume, hence more carbon pulled out of the atmosphere and converted to wood mass. By allowing the host Tico families to harvest selected trees and be paid good money for the wood, entire communities will learn firsthand that they can earn a decent living from their land over the long term without selling it or engaging in destructive farming practices. At the same time, Community Carbon Trees provide managed sources of rare tropical hardwoods demanded by world markets, thus decreasing pressure to log what little natural rainforest is left. After 25 years no more harvesting is permitted and the forests remain protected in perpetuity.

Three year old tree.

Our nursery.

2. What types of trees are you planting?

We plant a broad selection of trees, including tropical hardwoods, rare indigenous species, and fruiting or flowering trees, with at least 50 different species in each forest. The forests are designed to provide food and homes for animals and birds, protect water sources and river borders, control erosion, enrich soils with nitrogen and other nutrients, and produce medicine and forest products, including rare hardwood and softwood lumber. We collect seeds from surrounding areas so the trees are acclimatized to the region and suitable for planting based on altitude, soil type and inclination, secondary plant cover and other factors. Native species are adapted to the local environment and are less susceptible to stress, disease and pest damage. Local people are more familiar with their native plants and have more uses for them.

3. When are the trees planted?

Our trees are grown from specially selected seeds in our own nursery under the care and management of our expert team. We move the trees from the nursery to the field for planting beginning in early June, after the rainy season has been underway for at least a month. We continue planting until the end of August, then the rainy season continues for several more months, giving adequate time for trees to establish good root systems before facing the four-month-long sunny, dry season.

Planting a Community Carbon Trees Forest...

One-Tree-at-a-Time!

4. How are the trees planted?

Land preparation and project design are always determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the steepness of the site, quality of soil, the kind of existing vegetative cover, and the species to be planted. In Costa Rica, especially in the mountains, land preparation is done by hand with a machete. This provides employment to local laborers and causes minimal damage to soil and surrounding vegetation.

In general, wide pathways or trails are cut on the contour into cattle grasses and regenerating secondary brush to make room for the trees. Otherwise, these grasses and sharp shrubs and vines will suffocate the young saplings. The trees are then manually carried onto the trails and planted approximately 5 meters apart to insure sufficient room to develop, yet create enough competition to achieve straight trees with good growth rates.

Unmanaged trees planted here and there without maintenance and thinning do not grow as large as those planted in competition with other trees. The grasses are allowed to remain for the first two to three years, with regular chopping during the rainy season. In the summer months, these grasses and brush provide necessary shade and mulching material to protect the tender saplings from the burning equatorial sun.

After trees have achieved sufficient height above the surrounding brush, they can generally withstand the sun and maintenance decreases to occasional cleaning, removal of vines, and vigilance for pests or disease. Companion crops to enrich soils are also planted, such as beans and yucca and other native crops for short-term income and food provision.
Compare the pictures of the same trees at two years old and at four years old. With good early management, our Community Carbon Trees will grow big and tall and provide all the benefits of growing rare trees in the tropics on land owned by locals with cooperative participation.

See how the newly planted trees are beginning to blend in with the contiguous primary forest. At just four years old, with regular responsible tree maintenance, a real forest can be grown and rainforest extended over time.

Pathways or trails on a hillside.

Two year old trees.

5. What risks do the trees face?

Tree species selection is critical to success and Community Carbon Trees experts select trees appropriate to the varied conditions found within the planting zone. If a tree is grown under unsuitable soil or site conditions, it will be stressed and thus become susceptible to environmental stress, attacks from insects or competition from weeds. While soil analysis can be conducted and special applications prepared to improve the quality of degraded soils, more sustainable and organic results can also be attained by planting nitrogen fixing leguminous trees that enrich naturally the soil around them.

While disease can attack the growing trees, they have shown themselves to be remarkably resistant. As the roots of young nursery trees are susceptible to fungal attack, our experts treat all young saplings with a proven effective anti-fungal agent. After the taproot has matured, the risk of fungal infection drops dramatically. Any other species of trees to be planted have similarly been chosen for their resistance to disease.

Insects can attack the trees, like the leaf cutter ants, which must be dealt with rapidly while trees are young and tender. We often use local methods for protecting the trees, like using excrement from the ant’s nest itself to create barriers. When needed we may apply a non phyto-toxic fungus killer that kills the ants’ food supply, so they starve to death.

Larger animals may uproot saplings, feasting on their tender roots. We have witnessed a few instances of wild pigs digging up entire hillsides of freshly planted trees. Escaped cows can also be an occasional hazard. That’s why Community Carbon Trees invests in sturdy fencing before the trees ever get to the forest site. Once the trees have rooted several months after planting, their chance of survival increases. Maintenance of these fences by Tico Host families throughout 25-year cycle is part of the reciprocal relationship between Community Carbon Trees and the host farms.

Fortunately, in the area where we work, there is very low incidence of forest fires due to the humid tropical climate and extended rainy season, particularly on the central to southern Pacific coast where our family farms are located. While some Ticos still slash and burn grassy hillsides for cattle farms, these fires are generally controlled.

Hurricanes have historically not been a real problem in Costa Rica. On rare occasions they have hit the Caribbean side of the country. However, there is a 3350 mt (11,000 ft) mountain range that separates the Caribbean from the Pacific side where our farms are located. This range acts as a massive buffer zone sheltering us from the heavy winds associated with such storms. We are also very careful to select land with well-drained soil that is not prone to flooding.

Leaf cutter ants devouring a forest.

Intentional fires on a deforested cattle farm.

Newly planted manu negra tree.

6. Do you guarantee the trees?

YES, we replace all dead trees in the maintenance periods. Our crews return three weeks after the initial planting, for additional cleaning of the surrounding brush to create enough open space for the trees to prosper. If a tree is going to die, generally it will do so soon after planting or within the first year. We clean trees at least three times per year and fertilize with appropriate nutrients to achieve strong roots and growth rates. We check again for mortality loss every time we clean trees. Any dead trees are replaced and the vigilance continues. Sometimes farm soils or water runoff problems can be adjusted to help trees in zones of higher mortality. Our experience will ensure you that all 100 trees you pay for will be planted and maintained with the utmost care.

7. How am I assured of continued good management of my trees?

We have brought together a team of experienced and dedicated workers, local reforestation experts and agroforesters who specialize in growing tropical hardwood trees. Our experts participate in every level of the project from choosing and interviewing host Tico families, designing planting zones with Tico family input, collection of seeds and cultivation of saplings, preparation of the land, transport and planting of saplings, supervision and ongoing maintenance. Your payment of $25 per tree covers planting and maintenance throughout the 25-year lifecycle of the project.

8. Can I claim my trees as a charitable tax deduction?

No. We are not one of those tree planting gigs that offer you tax refunds or money back from your "green investment" by promising high returns from later harvest. Many tree investment projects tend to lack sufficient species diversity and long term real reforestation potential such as protecting water sources or building biological corridors. In addition, we are not colonizing Costa Rica by buying the land and displacing locals. Instead, we are encouraging locals to keep their land and learn new ways to make it produce sustainable income of food and products, even money. We want to work in a grassroots way, planting One Tree at a Time, with sponsorship by everyday people looking for do-able solutions in a world where "going green" should be more than just a sales tactic . If you have to get money back from doing your part to help the planetary environmental crises, the right thing, we are not for you. Besides, it is just $25 a tree, basically the cost of a night out for two at the movies.

9. Can I expect to receive a cash return on my investment?

No. We are not one of those groups offering you cash returns for planting teak trees or other monoculture style plantation set-ups. We have seen many of these projects here, and have chosen intentionally to focus on local social issues rather than feed the greed that is part of the reason the planet is dying.

Loading trees to be planted.

This is not reforestation!