Taking Root is pleased to share CommuniTree’s 2025 Annual Report, highlighting how the program continues to advance durable forest restoration while building confidence in a maturing carbon market.

CommuniTree now works with 4,954 farming families across Nicaragua, restoring a total of 18,436.44 hectares of land. In 2025, the program issued 321,340 carbon credits. Since its inception, CommuniTree has supported the planting of more than 28 million trees, which together will sequester over five million tonnes of CO₂ over time.

Behind these numbers is a deliberate focus on the conditions that enable forests and farmers to succeed over the long term. After fifteen years of implementation in Nicaragua, one lesson has become clear: forest durability is shaped in the earliest years after planting. The actions taken during establishment, and the consistency with which they are applied, determine outcomes measured decades later.

In 2025, that insight translated into practical refinements across training, field execution, and technology — all aimed at reinforcing the foundations that matter most when growing forests that last.

Driving early-stage performance

Fifteen years of monitoring and field experience have refined what drives durable forest outcomes: planting within optimal windows, conducting early maintenance at the right intervals, and intervening when it makes a material difference to tree survival and growth.

In 2025, Taking Root and BOSNICA strengthened how these practices are delivered in the field.

A centralized training model was introduced for technicians to ensure consistent, practice-based guidance across all regions. Video modules and an updated planting manual now serve as shared technical references, supporting onboarding and reinforcing common standards. Technician assessments conducted throughout the year helped identify knowledge gaps and direct targeted follow-up training where needed.

By reducing variation in field guidance, the program increases the likelihood that each parcel receives the right technical support during its most vulnerable phase.

“We are building something designed to last – not only forests, but also the relationships, systems, and knowledge required to nurture them across generations.”

Kahlil Baker, CEO, Taking Root 

Translating insight into execution

Clear technical guidance is essential, but forest success also depends on farmers being able to carry out activities at the right moments.

To support this, region-specific activity calendars were distributed to farmers to clarify the timing of nursery preparation, planting, and maintenance activities. Expanded access to shared tools, including weed whackers and hole diggers, reduced practical barriers to completing labour-intensive work within recommended windows.

Improved data visualization also enhanced visibility into parcel-level progress. BOSNICA teams can now see, in near real time, where activities are on track and where additional support may be required. This allows for earlier, proportionate follow-up and reinforces attention to the practices that most strongly influence tree survival and growth.

Daily field tracking continues to be complemented by formal monitoring assessments. In 2025, inventories were conducted across more than 7,000 hectares, representing the most comprehensive monitoring season completed to date. These assessments provide independent verification of parcel performance across vintages while continuing to deepen the program’s understanding of what drives long-term forest success.

Over time, monitoring has clarified which early-stage practices most strongly influence durable outcomes. In response, greater emphasis has been placed on reinforcing timely planting, consistent early maintenance, and close follow-up during establishment so that risks can be addressed before they affect long-term performance.

“Trust is not built through words alone, but through actions sustained over time.”

Elvin Castellon, Executive Director, BOSNICA

Technology that strengthens delivery

Alongside refinements in training and field execution, 2025 saw significant upgrades to the technology systems that support CommuniTree’s daily operations. These improvements were designed as infrastructure that enables better guidance in the field, clearer participation for farmers, and stronger delivery confidence overall.

Digital contracting workflows were expanded so that parcel-specific agreements are now generated directly within Taking Root’s technology platform. Contracts incorporate mapped boundaries, activity requirements, and payment schedules, creating a clearer link between field performance and contractual commitments.

The farmer payments system was also modernized. Previously, compensation required multiple manual steps, including cheque collection and in-person delivery. In 2025, verification of completed activities and payment approval were streamlined within the platform, with the majority of payments now issued through mobile wallets or bank transfers. For farmers, this means faster access to funds, fewer trips to financial institutions, and greater clarity around how completed work translates into payments. For field teams, it reduces administrative burden and frees up time for technical support.

A new leads function was also introduced to structure how farmer interest is captured and assessed. By adding defined eligibility checkpoints before mapping and contract finalization, the program improves transparency while ensuring that time and resources are directed toward parcels with strong potential for long-term success.

Looking ahead, technology development efforts are focused on evolving from visibility to decision-ready guidance. Building on fifteen years of silvicultural data, the platform is being designed to surface clearer prompts tied to planting windows, maintenance timelines, and early risk indicators, enabling more timely action across a growing portfolio of parcels.

Growing forests that endure

CommuniTree’s approach to forest restoration continues to receive independent recognition. In 2025, the program received an updated provisional A rating from Sylvera, incorporating a comprehensive review of the project’s carbon model. It was also featured in the Mongabay Reforestation Catalog, earning high ratings across permanence, ecological, social, and financial criteria. BOSNICA was recognized with the 9th Edition of the Cleaner Production Award, presented by the Comisión Nacional de Producción más Limpia, affirming the strength of locally grounded leadership and implementation.

These recognitions reflect a program built on fifteen years of field experience and strong partnerships with farming communities across Nicaragua. Together, they point to a restoration model that combines practical implementation, long-term stewardship, and operational discipline to deliver durable climate, environmental, and community outcomes.

Join us

The restoration opportunity in Nicaragua remains substantial. Independent analyses identify up to 2.02 million hectares suitable for restoration, with the potential to capture approximately 31.48 million tonnes of CO₂ annually.

Meeting that opportunity will require long-term partners committed to durable systems, transparent governance, and measurable impact.

We welcome conversations with partners ready to support high-integrity forest restoration at scale. Learn more about CommuniTree or email info@takingroot.com to explore partnership opportunities.