Restoring Madagascar’s Rainforests — One Tree at a Time (€3.12 per Tree)

On the eastern side of Madagascar, one of the most biodiverse rainforest ecosystems on Earth is slowly being brought back to life. Green Again Madagascar is restoring tropical rainforests that are home to lemurs and thousands of plant species found nowhere else in the world. The urgency is stark: nearly 90% of Madagascar’s original rainforests have been lost to unsustainable agricultural practices. This destruction doesn’t only threaten wildlife—it directly affects Malagasy subsistence farmers who rely on nearby forests for food, materials, and ecological stability.

Green Again Madagascar works with these farmers as partners, not bystanders. Local communities are employed and trained to manage tree nurseries, prepare seedlings, and design planting layouts informed by ongoing survival research. The nurseries cultivate 78 native tree species, all carefully selected because they are adapted to eastern Madagascar’s unique conditions and therefore far more likely to survive long-term. On planting days, crews clear degraded land and meticulously record the GPS location, height, and width of every single tree. This monitoring doesn’t stop after planting: each tree is measured and tracked for three years, generating rare, high-quality data on real-world reforestation outcomes.

Scientific rigor is central to the project. Donations made through Plant-for-the-Planet support large-scale planting efforts that double as research programs to improve future success rates. One key study focuses on post-planting care—specifically, whether removing weeds from the base of young trees significantly improves survival and growth. Half of the planted trees receive regular manual weeding; the other half are left untouched. This controlled, labor-intensive experiment is already shaping Green Again’s extended care model, which prioritizes long-term resilience over short-term numbers.

From seedling to the end of extended care, the full planting process lasts three to five years per tree. The result: healthier forests, higher survival rates, and trees that are far more likely to reach maturity. Remarkably, this five-year care-and-research cycle costs just €3.12 per tree, with €1.75 going directly to field crews in Madagascar. It is a model that combines ecological restoration, scientific accountability, and fair local employment—proving that thoughtful reforestation can be both effective and ethical.

More information: Plant-for-the-Planet