January 20, 2025
A parcel owned by Bayardo Soriano, from the community of Sonis in Somoto
He started growing trees in 2017 and has received more than USD $2,000 in climate finance to date.
Nicaragua · Planet
Community-Led Reforestation
Not For Sale’s planet work in Nicaragua supports CommuniTree, a community-led reforestation model that plants native and fruit-bearing trees alongside local families and organizations, making them the long-term stewards of what grows.
By the numbers
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Trees planted
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Hectares reforested
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Tonnes CO₂ captured
Why This Matters
Nicaragua has lost more than a quarter of its forest cover in recent decades, driven by agricultural expansion, cattle ranching, and illegal logging along the agricultural frontier. The communities most exposed to that loss, smallholder farmers, indigenous families, rural cooperatives, are also the communities least able to absorb its consequences. When the land degrades, the options narrow, and when options narrow, vulnerability to exploitation rises.
CommuniTree links ecological restoration with livelihood: participating communities earn from the planted land as it matures, which means the trees are protected by the same people whose futures depend on them. Communities that have a stake in a living landscape are communities traffickers cannot exploit as easily.
Field updates
January 2025
January 7, 2025
One of CommuniTree's more mature parcels, owned and managed by Luis
We love to see the canopy starting to close and natural regeneration taking place.
December 2024
December 19, 2024
From participant to advocate
Juan Ángel Valdivia recently joined CommuniTree and is now inspiring others by sharing his journey—what it’s like to be part of the program and how reforesting his land is already making a difference.
Word of mouth is a powerful driver for CommuniTree. By sharing firsthand stories, participants like Juan help other farmers see the possibilities that come with restoring their land.
Word of mouth is a powerful driver for CommuniTree. By sharing firsthand stories, participants like Juan help other farmers see the possibilities that come with restoring their land.
December 13, 2024
We asked CommuniTree farmer Dennis José Flores Talavera about the benefits of growing trees
Hear what he had to say in this short video, where he touches upon the benefits to his farm and his family.
November 2024
November 5, 2024
Dora is restoring a parcel of degraded land on her farm in Nicaragua
She planted seedlings last year, and the local team has been supporting her to maximize early-stage tree growth.
November 4, 2024
Juan Ordoñez, a participant in the CommuniTree Carbon Program, restored a parcel of land in 2022
This is what it looks like today!
October 2024
October 31, 2024
What do seedlings look like in the early years after planting
These images reveal the progress on Angel Antonio Rodriguez Tercero's farm where trees were planted in 2022.
Thank you to Angel for his dedication and perseverance. Here’s to continued growth! 🌳🌿
Thank you to Angel for his dedication and perseverance. Here’s to continued growth! 🌳🌿
October 8, 2024
The CommuniTree Carbon Program in Nicaragua is only possible thanks to APRODEIN, a local team of agroforestry experts
They support farmers throughout the entire lifecycle of the project, helping them to improve their livelihoods by growing trees.
We recently spoke to Elvin Castellón Alvarado, co-founder of CommuniTree and Executive Director of APRODEIN. He explained more about their vital role in making the project a success.
We recently spoke to Elvin Castellón Alvarado, co-founder of CommuniTree and Executive Director of APRODEIN. He explained more about their vital role in making the project a success.
September 2024
September 27, 2024
For smallholder farmers who rely on their land for an income, growing trees often feels out of reach as a land-use option
The upfront costs associate…
September 25, 2024
Harnessing the benefits of biochar
In Nicaragua, APRODEIN has been experimenting with biochar to bolster climate-resilience in tree nurseries. Adding biochar to seedling bags enhances the soil's ability to retain water and nutrients, boosting the survival rate of young trees.
What’s more, the biochar is created from wood thinnings collected from CommuniTree's farmers, turning waste into economic opportunities.
What’s more, the biochar is created from wood thinnings collected from CommuniTree's farmers, turning waste into economic opportunities.
September 19, 2024
Bertha Flores Morales is a smallholder farmer from Totogalpa, Nicaragua, where changing climate patterns make farming increasingly difficult
In this video, Bertha shares why she joined the CommuniTree Carbon Program so that she can grow trees alongside her existing agricultural practices. Bertha talks about the impact of forest degradation on her community, the challenges of farming in a dry climate, and the legacy she hopes to leave for her family.
August 2024
August 27, 2024
In CommuniTree, 53% of our permanent local team members in Nicaragua identify as female
Their vital contributions to restoring forests across Nicaragua is something we wish to celebrate every day.
Here's to those women whose hard work and dedication make it all possible.
Here's to fostering a culture of equity in all aspects of our work.
Here's to those women whose hard work and dedication make it all possible.
Here's to fostering a culture of equity in all aspects of our work.
August 12, 2024
A testament to the power of forest restoration
In 2022, Pedro Antonio Valdivia Lanzas began growing trees on this under-utilized patch of land. Just two years in and already it's a stark contrast to the degraded agricultural land next door.
July 2024
July 22, 2024
Duglas Arnulfo Reyes Valdivia has been growing trees through the CommuniTree Carbon Program for 13 years
Duglus lives in the San Juan de Limay region of Nicaragua. To date, he has received more than $1,400 in payments for ecosystem services.
July 9, 2024
Forest biomes are amongst the most biodiverse habitats in the world
In any healthy forest, you’ll find an array of tree species, along with an interc…
June 2024
June 13, 2024
Forest restoration is only successful when you put people first
In Nicaragua, the CommuniTree Carbon Program embodies this ethos. It demonstrates how when farmers benefit from trees, they have the incentive to keep growing them, restoring ecosystems and removing carbon from the atmosphere.
In a country marked by widespread forest degradation, CommuniTree continues to push the boundaries of what can be achieved with smallholder farmers, showing that forest restoration at scale is possible while benefiting the communities who need it the most.
In a country marked by widespread forest degradation, CommuniTree continues to push the boundaries of what can be achieved with smallholder farmers, showing that forest restoration at scale is possible while benefiting the communities who need it the most.
