Our Journey: 247,000 Trees and What We've Learned
CarbonX Team
5 February 2025 · 7 min read
In 2022, we planted 2,400 trees in a degraded patch of land in Karnataka. Survival rate: 67%. We learned the hard way that planting trees is easy—growing forests is not.
The First Saplings
We chose fast-growing species. Wrong. Monocultures of eucalyptus or acacia might look good on paper, but they don't build resilient ecosystems. We switched to native species mixes: Terminalia, Pongamia, Neem, and local fruit trees that provide both carbon and livelihood value.
Survival rates improved from 67% to 94% when we involved local communities in species selection.
Why Species Selection Matters
Native species are adapted to local pests, drought, and soil. They support biodiversity. And they're what communities want—fruit, fodder, timber. Carbon is a co-benefit, not the only benefit.
Community First, Always
Every project now starts with a community agreement. Land tenure, benefit sharing, and long-term management are negotiated upfront. When communities own the trees, they protect them.
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CarbonX Team
Carbon Removal Practitioners
Our on-the-ground team shares learnings from 247,000+ trees planted and dozens of carbon removal projects.
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