Rainforest Alliance

In this project, communities and landowners (mostly cattle ranchers) carry out tree planting using nearly 70 different native tree species on former forest lands that have been cleared over the years for cattle ranching -- one of the most common, but increasingly unsustainable and unprofitable land uses in the region. Through replanting, the project will regenerate dry and most tropical forests and increase forest connectivity, enabling the restoration of biological corridors through the Rivas Isthmus of southwestern Nicaragua (a thin strip between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean). Reconnecting remnant forest patches are vital to the survival of local Spider and Howler monkey populations and other local fauna. The project also keeps the needs of the local people at heart: developed by a small grassroots nonprofit with close ties to the nearby community, local groups were actively involved in the project planning process, particularly in the planning and management of the nurseries used for tree planting. This project was the first in Nicaragua to be validated to the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards and has generated interest far beyond the initial project boundaries. It is hoped that more local ranchers and landowners will join the project as they see its continued success.