Hawai‘i Carbon Smart Land Program Expands Funding for Tree Planting Projects

The Hawai‘i Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission has announced a fresh wave of grants for the Carbon Smart Land Program, aimed at boosting climate resilience across the islands. With awards ranging from $25,000 to $100,000, the funding will help landowners, community groups, and businesses implement regenerative practices like agroforestry, native reforestation, and soil health improvements. This initiative not only supports carbon sequestration but also fortifies local ecosystems against climate-related challenges. Applications are open until May 1, 2025—interested parties can apply here.

When public money funds projects on private land, how much transparency should be required? Should landowners have to publicly report progress, or is that overstepping?

👉👉 Read more in DLNR Hawaii

Pará State to Auction Brazil’s First Reforestation Concession in Triunfo do Xingu

Brazil’s Pará state is putting a bold new spin on saving the rainforest—by auctioning off the rights to reforest 10,000 hectares in the Triunfo do Xingu reserve. The 40-year concession, up for grabs at São Paulo’s B3 stock exchange on March 28, will require a $45.3 million investment but promises some serious climate benefits, capturing an estimated 3.7 million metric tonnes of CO₂ per year. The winning bidder gets to sell carbon offsets and environmental service credits, plus a limited supply of forestry products.

If you’re a numbers person, that’s roughly 11 million trees, assuming a planting density of 1,100 stems per hectare. With illegal deforestation still eating away at the Amazon, this is Brazil’s first test of a public-private reforestation model—and more concessions are on the way later this year.

If private companies are restoring public land, should they be required to share detailed data—like tree species, planting locations (polygons), and survival rates?

👉👉 Read more in Argus Media

Just Climate Lands $175M from Microsoft & CalSTRS—Because Trees Deserve Venture Capital Too

In a world where climate tech gets showered with trillion-dollar investments, nature-based solutions are like the indie band that never quite makes the main stage. But Just Climate, founded by Al Gore’s Generation Investment Management, just pulled in a $175 million backing from Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund and CalSTRS, proving that forests, soil, and biodiversity might finally be getting their financial due. This cash injection will fund reforestation, biological alternatives to chemical fertilizers, and improved carbon verification tech (because "trust us, it's green" doesn’t quite cut it). Just Climate is already making moves—like leading a Series B round for NatureMetrics, a startup using environmental DNA (eDNA) to track biodiversity in land and water. With Microsoft already betting big on carbon removal, this latest deal signals that nature is finally a high-growth market.

Should verification data—like carbon sequestration numbers, biodiversity impacts, and land use changes—be public domain? What would be the advantages of making this information open source? 

👉👉 Read more in Founders Today

Colombia’s Biodiversity Bonds: Financing Reforestation & Conservation with Wall Street Money

Colombia, home to some of the world’s most breathtaking biodiversity, is turning conservation into a financial asset. The country has launched the world’s first biodiversity bonds, raising $70 million through BBVA Colombia to fund reforestation, mangrove restoration, and sustainable agriculture. With guidance from the World Bank Group, Colombia’s Financial Superintendency has built a new regulatory framework for biodiversity finance, making it easier for banks to invest in nature without getting lost in a financial jungle. The goal? Turn conservation into a bankable business—because if nature is going to regenerate, it needs capital. With Banco Davivienda preparing a second biodiversity bond worth $50 million, Colombia is proving that reforestation and species protection can be just as investable as solar farms and EVs.

So, if $70 million is going to finance reforestation—how many trees does that actually plant? 

👉👉 Read more in IFC

Plant It or Let It Grow? Natural Regeneration vs. Reforestation by Hand

In the Northeast, not every harvested forest needs to be replanted—and that’s by design, not neglect. While states like Oregon and much of the Southeast rely heavily on plantation forestry, planting millions of trees each year (often with the help of H-2B forestry guestworkers), places like Maine let nature do the heavy lifting. In fact, only about 2% of Maine’s private timberland is artificially planted—the rest naturally regenerates through seed dispersal and sprouting. The difference comes down to regional ecology, forest type, and management goals. So when a Maine vacationer frets about a clear-cut not being replanted, it may simply be that Mother Nature already has it covered.

How do we strike the right balance between letting forests grow back on their own and stepping in to replant?

👉👉 Read more from Forest Resources Association

Biodiversity Is Not a Bonus: It Should Be the Point of Forest Restoration

Tree planting has become the poster child of climate action—but biodiversity often gets treated like an afterthought. A sweeping new review in Nature Reviews Biodiversity argues it's time to flip that script. From carbon markets dominated by monocultures to restoration strategies that overlook entire ecosystems, most forest projects have focused on quick wins like timber and CO₂ offsets rather than long-term, multi-species recovery.

The authors make the case for biodiversity-centered forest restoration, pushing for smarter planning, funding models, and monitoring systems that don’t stop at tree survival but track species diversity, genetic variety, and ecosystem functions. With biodiversity credit markets on the rise and tech-enabled monitoring (think drones, eDNA, and AI) gaining traction, the tools are finally catching up with the science. But until biodiversity goals are baked into the design, not bolted on as PR sparkle, we’re just planting problems for the future.

What would it take to make biodiversity the main character—not the sidekick—in global reforestation efforts? Is it better data, better funding, or just a shift in how we define “success”?

👉👉 Read more in Nature