--- title: "Nicaragua" url: https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/ publisher: "Not For Sale" --- Americas · Where we work # Nicaragua How Not For Sale works alongside communities in Nicaragua to address root causes and build lasting change. [Support this project](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) Nicaragua · Planet ## Community-Led Reforestation Not For Sale’s [planet](https://wearenotforsale.org/learn/what-is-ecocide/) 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 1,105 Trees planted 1.1 Hectares reforested 622 Metric tons of CO₂ captured [View on Tree-Nation](https://tree-nation.com/projects/communitree) ![CommuniTree reforestation, Nicaragua](https://tree-nation.com/thumbs/1080x660/https://treenation-uploads.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/project-62f3fcb719ee7166c008ffcd4adc6d95.webp) ### 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](https://wearenotforsale.org/learn/what-is-human-trafficking/) 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. [Support this project](https://wearenotforsale.org/donate/) ## Field updates Stories from the team on the ground. Showing **20** of **20** January 2025 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. [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) 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. [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) January 2, 2025 As we kick off 2025, we're looking ahead to another fantastic year in CommuniTree, with hundreds of hectares of land already recruited for the 2025 planting season! [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) 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. [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) 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. [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) November 2024 November 12, 2024 As we near the end of CommuniTree's 2024 planting season, we're celebrating a big milestone: the expansion of the project's central nurseries from 22 to 40. It’s a huge logistical feat that ensures all farmers—whether they have in-farm nurseries or not—have access to the healthy seedlings needed to plant their land. More nurseries mean more opportunities for farmers to join the project and grow thriving forests 🌳. [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) 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. [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) 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! [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) 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! 🌳🌿 [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) 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. [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) 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… [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) 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. [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) 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. [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) 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. [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) August 22, 2024 For the smallholder farmers we partner with, some of the primary benefits of forest restoration include improved water security and better soil health on their land. [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) 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. [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) 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. [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) 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… [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) June 2024 June 26, 2024 Forest restoration in action It's planting season in CommuniTree! [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) 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. [Support](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) [Support this project](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) #### At a glance Region Americas Focus Survivor care, Prevention, Reforestation Since 2014 [All projects](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/) #### From the news [What Are the 5 Ps of Human Trafficking? Human Trafficking](https://wearenotforsale.org/human-trafficking/5-ps-human-trafficking/) [Which Organizations Are Fighting Human Trafficking? Human Trafficking](https://wearenotforsale.org/human-trafficking/organizations-fighting-human-trafficking/) [What Is the Difference Between Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking? Human Trafficking](https://wearenotforsale.org/human-trafficking/modern-slavery-vs-human-trafficking/) [How to Help Fight Climate Change in 10 Practical Ways Ecocide](https://wearenotforsale.org/ecocide/how-to-help-fight-climate-change/) [All news →](https://wearenotforsale.org/news/) ## More projects in Americas [View all](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/) Active Americas [Argentina](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/argentina/) View project → Active Americas [Bolivia](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/bolivia/) View project → Active Americas [Brazil](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/brazil/) View project → Active Americas [Canada](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/canada/) View project → Active Americas [Colombia](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/colombia/) View project → ## Help us build freedom, one community at a time. [Donate](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/nicaragua/?campaign=770665) [Explore all projects](https://wearenotforsale.org/projects/)