Past Restoration Experience

The questions asked in this section of the full application allow us to understand your organization’s experience in land restoration.

In this article, we highlight each of the questions we ask in this section of the full application, why we ask them, address any common concerns around each question and (where relevant) provide you with resources/examples to help answer the question.

There are multiple questions that applicants already answered in the Expression of Interest (EOI) stage. You will not be required to answer these again but you are encouraged to update your responses based on feedback that you received on your EOI. All of the questions from the EOI will be written in green below, in case you wish to review the guidance again. 

If you have any further questions, you can add them below as a comment or submit them here, and our support team will try to address it. 

Information For Questions Asked

• How many years of restoration experience does your organization have?
• How many hectares of degraded land has your organization restored since it was founded?
• How many hectares of degraded land has your organization restored in the past 36 months?
• How many trees has your organization restored or naturally regenerated since it was founded?
• How many trees has your organization planted, naturally regenerated or otherwise restored in the past 36 months?
• What was the average survival rate of the trees that your organization has grown?
• Which tree species has your organization grown?
• Which interventions has your organization used to restore land?
• What strategies have you used to maintain the trees that you have grown?
• In which areas of this country have you worked in the past, and what are their characteristics of these landscapes?
• How have you monitored and evaluated the progress of your past projects?
• Please upload monitoring reports from past projects.
• Please upload a geospatial polygon that identifies the location of a past restoration project.
• Photos of past restoration work

 

Q: How many years of restoration experience does your organization have?

Why we ask this question:
Although we have already asked when your organization was founded, many organizations start restoring land years after they became a legal organization. We want to know how many years your organization has been restoring land to ensure you have the experience needed to take on a significant restoration project.

How do I determine how many years of experience my organization has restoring land? This refers to the number of years your organization has been involved in actively restoring degraded land. For example, the number of years that you have planted trees or conducted erosion control work can be counted. However, if you only dug wells during the first years of your existence, that shouldn't be counted (but can be included in other sections of the application like your organization's mission). If your organization began to restore land significantly later than it was founded, make sure to only include the years after you began to work on restoration.

Q: How many hectares of degraded land has your organization restored since it was founded?

Why we ask this question:
We want to understand the total number of hectares your organization has been actively involved in  restoring since its founding to understand the impact and experience of your organization.

How do we define hectares restored? A hectare of land restored is defined as the total land area measured in hectares that has undergone restoration intervention. The land area under restoration includes more than active tree planting; for example, some land may not be planted while undergoing restoration. Instead, trees could be naturally regenerated on that land without active planting. Only count land that has benefitted from tree-based restoration techniques in your total.

Q: How many hectares of degraded land has your organization restored in the past 36 months?

Why we ask this question:
We want to understand the total number of hectares your organization has been actively involved in  restoring in the past 36 months to evaluate your recent traction. We understand that the COVID-19 pandemic affected work in 2020 and 2021.

How we define hectares restored? A hectare of land restored is defined as the total land area measured in hectares that has undergone restoration intervention. The land area under restoration includes more than active tree planting. Some land may not be planted while undergoing restoration. Instead, trees could be naturally regenerated on that land without active planting. Only count land that has benefitted from tree-based restoration techniques in your total.

Q: How many trees has your organization restored or naturally regenerated since it was founded?

Why we ask this question:
We want to understand the total number of trees that have been restored or naturally regenerated since your organization was founded to evaluate the scale and the impact of your organization's work.

How do we define a tree? A tree is defined as a woody perennial plant, typically having a single stem or trunk growing to 5 meters or higher, bearing lateral branches at some distance from the ground.

What do you mean by trees restored? We count "trees restored," not "planted." Only trees that survive to maturity after they are planted or naturally regenerated should be counted toward this total. Naturally regenerating trees must attain a verifiable age of over 1 year to be counted as "restored."

Q: How many trees has your organization planted, naturally regenerated or otherwise restored in the past 36 months?

Why we ask this question:
We want to understand the total number of trees that have been restored or naturally regenerated in the past 36 months to evaluate your recent traction. We understand that the COVID-19 pandemic affected work in 2020 and 2021.

How do we define a tree? A tree is defined as a woody perennial plant, typically having a single stem or trunk growing to 5 meters or higher, bearing lateral branches at some distance from the ground.

What do you mean by trees restored? We count "trees restored," not "planted." Only trees that survive to maturity after they are planted or naturally regenerated should be counted toward this total. Naturally regenerating trees must attain a verifiable age of over 1 year to be counted as "restored."

Q: What was the average survival rate of the trees that your organization has grown?

Why we ask this question:

We ask this question to understand the success rate of your organization in growing and planting trees. The average survival rate of trees is an important indicator of the effectiveness of tree-planting efforts. This information helps us to evaluate the potential success of your project and identify any areas for improvement.

What do we expect?

The average survival rate of trees is calculated by dividing the total number of trees that your organization has grown to maturity (at least 5 years) by the total number of trees that your organization has planted or begun to naturally regenerate. Then, multiply the result by 100 to get the percentage.

Please provide accurate data, as survival rates can vary depending on the landscape and planting conditions. We understand that survival rates are naturally lower in some landscapes than in others. For example, trees planted in dry or arid climates are more likely to die than trees planted in moist climates. We take this into account when we assess each project. A low survival rate will not disqualify a project from financing.

Q: Which tree species has your organization grown?

Why we ask this question:

Knowing which tree species the organization has grown can help determine whether the organization has the necessary expertise to successfully grow the proposed species in the proposed location. Different tree species have different growth rates, suitability for specific soil types, and abilities to resist pests.

What do we expect?

Please provide the names of all the tree species your organization has grown in the past, including the scientific name of each species. The scientific name of each species is preferred to their local or common names, but the latter are accepted.

If your organization has grown more than 25 species, input the 25 most numerous species. Providing this information will help us assess your organization's ability to grow the proposed species in the proposed location.

Q: Which interventions has your organization used to restore land?

Why we ask this question:

We ask this question to gain a better understanding of the types of restoration interventions your organization has experience with and the approaches you have taken in previous projects.

What does this mean?

As we consider your proposed project, we would like to know which restoration interventions your organization has utilized in the past. Select the methods used in previous projects from the list given.

To assist you, we have included definitions of each restoration intervention:

Agroforestry: The intentional mixing and cultivation of woody perennial species (trees, shrubs, bamboos) alongside agricultural crops in a way that improves the agricultural productivity and ecological function of a site.

Applied Nucleation: A form of enrichment planting where trees are planted in groups, clusters, or even rows, dispersed throughout an area, to encourage natural regeneration in the matrix between the non-planted areas.

Assisted Natural Regeneration: The exclusion of threats (i.e. grazing, fire, invasive plants) that had previously prevented the natural regrowth of a forested area from seeds already present in the soil, or from natural seed dispersal from nearby trees. This does not include any active tree planting.

Direct Seeding: The active dispersal of seeds (preferably ecologically diverse, native seed mixes) that will allow for natural regeneration to occur, provided the area is protected from disturbances. This may be done by humans or drones- implies active collection and dispersal, not natural dispersal by natural seed dispersers that is part of natural regeneration processes.

Enrichment Planting: The strategic re-establishment of key tree species in a forest that is ecologically degraded due to lack of certain species, without which the forest is unable to naturally sustain itself.

Mangrove Restoration: Specific interventions in the hydrological flows and/or vegetative cover to create or enhance the ecological function of a degraded mangrove tree site

Reforestation: The planting of seedlings over an area with little or no forest canopy to meet specific goals.

Riparian Restoration: Specific interventions in the hydrological flows and vegetative cover to improve the ecological function of a degraded wetland or riparian area.

Silvopasture: The intentional mixing and cultivation of woody perennial species (trees, shrubs, bamboos) on pastureland where tree cover was absent in a way that improves the agricultural productivity and ecological function of a site for continued use as pasture.

Q: What strategies have you used to maintain the trees that you have grown?

Why we ask this question:

It is important to ensure that the trees planted or regenerated are given the best chance of survival. It is not enough to just plant trees; they must also be nurtured and protected to achieve the project's goals. Additionally, we are interested in how your organization works with communities to promote the sustainable use and long-term upkeep of the trees.

What do we expect?

Please describe in detail the specific strategies that your organization has used to protect and nurture the saplings that your organization has grown. Indicate how long you monitor the trees after planting or regeneration, any specific techniques used for tree maintenance, and how you work with communities to ensure the long-term upkeep or sustainable use of the trees.

Share as much as you can and be as detailed as possible. Note that projects that harvest, coppice, or in any way cut down trees must thoroughly explain how the removal of TerraFund-financed trees directly benefit communities and/or the ecological health of the landscape.

Q: In which areas of this country have you worked in the past, and what are the characteristics of these landscapes?

Why we ask this question:

We ask this question to gain a better understanding of the local areas in which your organization has experience working, and to assess your knowledge of the local context. This information helps us evaluate your capacity to carry out effective and impactful restoration projects in a variety of settings within the landscape.

What do we expect?

Please provide a list of the specific landscapes, communities, or administrative areas in which you have worked within the country associated with this application. For each area, describe the characteristics of the landscape and the communities that inhabit it.

Please detail how you tailored your approach to address the unique needs and challenges of each area, and any notable successes or challenges encountered. This information will help us better understand your organization's experience and expertise in carrying out restoration projects in a variety of local contexts within the target landscapes.

Q: How have you monitored and evaluated the progress of your past projects?

Why we ask this question:

We ask this question to understand your organization's approach to monitoring and evaluating the progress of your restoration projects.

What do we expect?:

Indicate how you have tracked the progress of your restoration projects in the past. This includes the methods and tools you have used, the indicators you have tracked, and how you have used the data to improve your work.

Here are some specific examples of the information we are looking for:

• What methods and tools have you used to monitor the progress of your projects?
• What indicators have you tracked?
• How have you used the data to improve your work?

Please provide as much specific details on the techniques and tools used for monitoring and evaluation, as well as the indicators tracked, how they are measured, and how data-driven insights are applied to improve the organization's work. If you have examples of past reports that support your approach, please upload them in the next question as well.

For more information about how TerraFund projects monitor, report on, and verify their success, see this article.

Q: Please upload monitoring reports from past projects. 

Why we ask this question:

We ask for monitoring reports from past projects as it helps us to better understand your organization's approach to monitoring and evaluation. It provides insight into the level of detail, data collection methods, and analysis that your organization uses to track and measure the progress of your restoration projects. Uploading past monitoring reports also demonstrates transparency, accountability, and a willingness to share knowledge and information with potential partners or funders. It helps us to assess the effectiveness of your restoration interventions and make informed decisions about supporting your organization's future work.

What do we expect?:

You can upload up to 5 examples of previous monitoring reports that you have produced for past restoration projects. Reports that you submitted to funders, government agencies, or technical partners are especially welcome. This is optional.

Q: Please upload a geospatial polygon that identifies the location of a past restoration project. 

Why we ask this question:

We ask this question because it is important for us to understand the scale and scope of your past restoration projects. This information will also help us to assess your experience with geospatial polygons, and it will help us to understand your approach to restoration.

What do we expect?:

Once a project is funded by TerraFund, our program monitoring and evaluation guidelines requires each project developer to submit precise geospatial polygons that correspond to the exact parcels of land that the project is restoring. If you have no experience working with geospatial systems, we will provide that support if you are selected. 

If you do have an example of a precise polygon that you have created for a past restoration project, please upload it here in one of the following three formats: .geojson, .kml, or .zip (containing .dbf, .shp, .shx and .prj files). This polygon should only include areas where you directly led the work. N.B: Do not upload a polygon for a proposed project.

For a deeper understanding of what how to create and submit geospatial polygons that meet our criteria, please read through this article: Creating and Submitting Geographic Data for Your Project. This is optional.

Q: Photos of past restoration work

Why we ask this question:
Photos provide proof of and context for your restoration experience. Please upload as many photos of your past restoration work as possible. Planting photos, before-and-after images, community engagement pictures, geotagged photos, and aerial images are especially valuable.

What kind of pictures can I upload to show photos of past restoration work: You are advised to upload at least high-quality pictures of your past restoration work. You can upload individual photos as large as 25 MB. The file types accepted are .png, .jpg, and .tif. You are advised to also upload geotagged photos to help the review team confirm the location of the work done.. Images may include people involved and/or the landscape being restored. Pictures that show the landscape before and after restoration are highly encouraged. Note that these photos may be featured on our webpage and in our other media, if you are selected for funding.