Do you also purchase cleared land in order to reforest it?

We focus on protecting the primeval forests that are still there and intact. Once forests have been destroyed (and possibly even used for agriculture), they are essentially irretrievably lost, and it becomes more difficult to restore a healthy, species-rich rainforest on cleared land. When areas are renaturalized, biodiversity can only spread again from ecologically intact areas. And it would take thousands of years for a similarly valuable, old, and species-rich forest to develop there again.

Reforestation projects also harbour some dangers. Soils that are particularly rich in carbon store huge amounts of CO₂. When the soil is tilled for reforestation, this carbon comes into contact with oxygen – and escapes into the atmosphere as CO₂ over many years! Of course, replacing natural, species-rich grasslands with monocultures and destroying valuable open land ecosystems does not help either. In addition, many reforestation projects are inadequately monitored – many of the trees that have allegedly been planted worldwide cannot be verified. 

If done correctly, reforestation can certainly be a solution. However, for it to be truly effective, strict criteria must be met: reforestation should only take place on previously forested land; only native tree species should be planted; maximum biodiversity should be taken into account; and high survival rates should be ensured.

Planting trees is no substitute for forest conservation—it is only a sensible measure if it is done according to scientific standards. Preserving existing rainforests remains the most effective strategy for climate and species protection!