Assisted Natural Regeneration Reporting Guide

This article provides guidance on how to report Assisted Natural Regeneration(ANR) activities in your Site Report.

Who should report about ANR

ANR counting and reporting timeline

What to report about ANR

Who should report about ANR

Only projects implementing Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) should report their results under the “Number of trees naturally regenerated” indicator and should not report any figures under the “Number of trees planted” indicator, as no planting activities are involved. However, projects that combine ANR with enrichment planting or direct seeding should report under both indicators: “Number of trees planted” for trees established through planting or seeding activities, and “Number of trees naturally regenerated” for all newly regenerating trees that emerge naturally within the restoration site.

When is a tree considered Naturally Regenerated?

A tree is considered naturally regenerated when it has established through natural regeneration processes following restoration interventions and measures between 50 cm and 130 cm in height at the time of monitoring or counting.

ANR counting and reporting timeline

In Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) projects, an initial baseline count of naturally regenerating trees is established during the first year through a baseline assessment. This baseline information is then used to set the restoration target during site profile establishment on TerraMatch, where the projected number of trees to be naturally regenerated is defined based on the regeneration potential and conditions identified in the baseline study. Learn how to count trees under ANR here.

Projects report on their ANR interventions three times for each site. 

• The first report is submitted immediately after ANR activities are completed, 
• The second report exactly 2 years after the first count, and 
• The third report at the end of the project.  All ‘naturally regenerating’ trees, between 50-130cm height, are counted in the intervals shared above.  

A case study for TerraFund 2025 Cohort: 

The figure below outlines the key activities, site establishment steps, monitoring requirements, and reporting milestones for the TerraFund 2025 cohort implementing Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) activities, with clearly defined dates and timelines. It provides a structured framework for data collection and reporting through TerraMatch, ensuring consistent tracking of restoration progress from site establishment through successive counts of naturally regenerating trees. The timeline clarifies when baseline data, progress updates, and repeated tree measurements are required across the full project lifecycle (2026–2031).

What to report about ANR

Every six months, you will complete the Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) Progress section of your site report, this is the 3rd section of the report. You will need to:

• Select the ANR practices that you undertook on your site 
• Describe the activities undertaken for each ANR practice
• Report on any new or naturally regenerating trees observed in areas under ANR
• Provide geotagged photos documenting ANR activities

For further guidance on answering these questions, review the site report checklist in the Checklists for your TerraFund Project, Nursery, and Site Reports article.