Local | PANORAMA

Decentralized Local Governance via DAOs

NFTree promotes the formation of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) that operate as governance bodies co-designed with landowners and local actors. These DAOs are formalized through statutes that outline voting rights, membership, responsibilities, and procedures for fund allocation and monitoring. In places like Guayabillas, the DAO is adapted to local contexts and integrates with existing instruments such as community meetings. These governance structures enable transparency, local prioritization of conservation areas, and collective oversight of restoration and MRV efforts. NFTree incorporates digital tools to manage the DAO on-chain, while also maintaining analog mechanisms when needed due to technological constraints.

Collective drafting and validation of DAO statutes with landowners and community stakeholders
Local capacity-building workshops and onboarding sessions
Integration of customary governance and ecological priorities
Use of open-source platforms like Aragon for DAO governance
Alignment with local conservation planning (e.g., management plans)

Participatory governance processes strengthen trust and long-term commitment
Co-design of statutes enhances local legitimacy and clarity on rights and roles
Hybrid digital-offline governance models improve accessibility and inclusion
Transparent, consensus-based fund allocation boosts engagement and accountability

Entirety

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Subnational

https://nftree.com.ec/

Project implementation plan

Phase 1 - Foundation 

To lay the foundation for integrating I&T solutions into traditional wetland management, conduct a study to identify and prioritize suitable devices to be installed in appropriate locations for wetland monitoring by: 

Consulting wetland stakeholders 
Consulting innovation and technology sector 
Reviewing potential IoT applications that are particularly important to the management of MPNR 
Identifying and integrating relevant IoT solutions for gei wai operation and wetland research into MPNR without compromising existing management of MPNR

Phase 2 – Deployment 

To monitor the wetland habitats of MPNR, the IoT system will be implemented by: 

Installing wireless sensors, LoRa gateway(s) and the supporting infrastructure in designated sites in MPNR 
Connecting all the wireless sensor applications to the cloud server and IoT user interface  
Setting thresholds for alert in the IoT system

Phase 3 – Implementation and evaluation 

To demonstrate proof of concept of the capability of IoT system for wetland management with reference to actual contribution to Reserve management and potential use of data for ecological studies, the following will be done: 

Collecting data and alerts from IoT system deployed in MPNR 
Evaluating the performance and efficacy of the system in terms of  
field performance of the system,  
facilitation to management decision and  
novelty of the data for new research opportunities

Phase 4 – Dissemination  

To promote the application of IoT to wetland management, the research project and experience learnt will be shared throughout the project by: 

Organizing webinars for conservation managers and wetland stakeholders 
Installing outdoor interpretation panels in MPNR 
Promoting through social media platform and media engagement 
Producing promotional video 
Publishing technical report of the project 
Organizing launching ceremony of the "Smart Wetland" IoT pilot system

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Agenda FAO IUCN side-event CFS 23rd Oct 2023.docx

Strengthening community engagement and expert knowledge

Restoration Community Member

Plant-for-the-Planet Foundation

Top project badge

Plant-for-the-Planet Foundation

With our platform and tools, we not only provide opportunities to raise funds, simplify data collection for monitoring, and detect forest fires earlier to enable faster response, but also foster a sense of ownership for small grassroots projects tackling the globally critical issue of the climate crisis. Each project on our platform is encouraged to share its challenges and success stories with us and the broader community. This engagement happens through regular Community Talks or direct connections with other projects facing similar challenges, fostering meaningful discussions and facilitating valuable knowledge exchange at both local and regional levels.

Our project badges further enhance this sense of belonging, serving as both a symbol of community membership and an official seal of quality for potential supporters. Additionally, our free and confidential advisory service offers Restoration Organizations tailored guidance from our team of experts, empowering them to sustainably develop and improve their initiatives.

Active Community Engagement: Regular opportunities for interaction, such as Community Talks and peer connections, are essential for fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and mutual support among projects.

Training and Support: Providing training and ongoing technical support to project implementers ensures they can maximize the tools' capabilities and interpret the data effectively.

Recognition and Validation: Tools like project badges that serve as symbols of quality and credibility are important for both community morale and attracting potential supporters.

Tailored Advisory Support: Offering accessible, expert-driven, and confidential guidance ensures projects can address their unique challenges and make sustainable improvements.

Accessible Technology and Tools: User-friendly, reliable tools for fundraising, monitoring, and early detection of challenges like forest fires are vital for grassroots projects to operate effectively and achieve their goals.

Global yet Local Focus: Balancing global relevance with local impact ensures that both the broad climate crisis and specific regional needs are addressed comprehensively.

Key Lessons Learned

Community Engagement Builds Long-Term Value
Regular interactions through Community Talks and direct peer connections foster a strong sense of belonging and shared purpose. Projects benefit greatly from knowledge exchange, but these forums require consistent facilitation to ensure meaningful participation.

Recognition Drives Motivation and Credibility
Project badges act as an effective tool to recognize and validate project quality, boosting morale among implementers and instilling confidence in donors. However, the criteria for earning badges must be transparent and consistently applied to maintain trust.

Support Must Be Tailored and Accessible
Free advisory services have proven invaluable for projects facing diverse challenges, especially grassroots initiatives with limited resources. However, ensuring adequate capacity within the advisory team to meet growing demand remains critical.

Challenges and Aspects That Did Not Work

Inconsistent Participation in Community Engagement
Not all projects actively participate in discussions or share their experiences, limiting the potential for mutual learning. Encouraging broader involvement remains a challenge.

Balancing Standardization with Flexibility
While project badges and standards provide structure, some grassroots projects felt constrained by rigid criteria that didn’t fully account for local contexts. Introducing adaptability within guidelines has been key.

Advice for Replication

Foster Inclusive Communities
Actively encourage participation in knowledge-sharing initiatives by highlighting benefits and providing incentives for engagement, such as showcasing success stories.

Invest in Scalable Support Structures
Build a robust advisory team and implement scalable processes to accommodate the diverse needs of a growing project community.

Implementation

Documentation and dissemination of results

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Global

Improved monitoring and reporting efforts for restoration

TreeMapper

Plant-for-the-Planet Foundation

TreeMapper

Plant-for-the-Planet Foundation

Environmental restoration initiatives must demonstrate the impact of their efforts to donors and other stakeholders. However, many projects struggle with collecting and presenting data effectively. This is where the digital tools TreeMapper and the DataExplorer dashboard provide invaluable support. TreeMapper enables restoration organizations to collect detailed on-site data about their restoration activities, beyond just tree planting. It can track interventions such as firebreaks, topsoil removal, or other ecosystem restoration measures. With an extensive database of over 60,000 species*, offline functionality, and the ability to re-measure monitoring plots, TreeMapper simplifies ecosystem monitoring and ensures comprehensive, reliable data collection.

Collected data is automatically uploaded to the platform, and publicly accessible within each project profile. For deeper analysis, restoration organizations can use the DataExplorer dashboard or export the data for further exploration in Python or Excel, gaining insights to improve their efforts.

Additionally, satellite data from NASA, European Space Agency, and other providers enhances monitoring by verifying project claims and tracking changes in biomass, tree cover, carbon sequestration, and risks like fire or flooding. This combination of on-the-ground and remote sensing data provides a detailed, comprehensive view of project quality and development over time, empowering stakeholders with transparency and actionable insights.

*BGCI 2024. GlobalTree Portal. Botanic Gardens Conservation International. Richmond, U.K. Available at https://www.bgci.org/resources/bgci-databases/globaltree-portal/. Accessed on 11/12/2024.

Robust and User-Friendly Tools: Digital tools like TreeMapper and DataExplorer must be intuitive, reliable, and functional in diverse environments, including offline scenarios, to ensure widespread adoption and effective data collection.

Comprehensive Data Integration: Seamless integration of ground-collected data with remote sensing datasets (e.g., from NASA and ESA) ensures a holistic view of project performance and ecosystem development.

Extensive Species Database: A well-maintained and expansive database, such as TreeMapper’s 60,000+ species catalog, is essential for accurate and detailed ecological monitoring.

Accessibility and Scalability: Tools should be accessible to projects of varying sizes and resources, with scalability to handle diverse restoration activities and large datasets as projects grow.

Transparent Data Presentation: Making project data publicly available in a clear and engaging format fosters trust among donors and stakeholders while promoting accountability.

Key Lessons Learned

Ease of Use is Crucial: Tools like TreeMapper and DataExplorer must prioritize user-friendliness to ensure adoption. Complex interfaces or workflows hinder usage, especially in regions with limited technical capacity.

Offline Capabilities Are Essential: Many restoration projects are conducted in remote areas with unreliable internet. Offline functionality in tools like TreeMapper has been pivotal for data collection in such environments.

Integration of Ground and Satellite Data Enhances Impact: Combining on-the-ground data with satellite insights significantly improves monitoring accuracy and provides a holistic view of project progress, which is critical for both implementers and donors.

Transparency Builds Trust: Publicly accessible and visually processed data strengthens donor confidence and promotes accountability, showcasing the impact of funded initiatives clearly.

Connectivity always a major consideration: Tools built are very light, so they work on old phones, and don't require cutting edge processors. All apps work offline, for instance, TRACER mapping is offline, TreeMapper data can be collected offline, and user only needs internet connectivity every month or so.

Financing and sustainability: ForestCloud's technical infrastructure is backed by a stable, long-term institutional partnership with Plant-for-the-Planet, Salesforce, and ESRI. A white-label version of the Restoration Platform—such as trees.salesforce.com—also serves as a fundraising tool to support broader ForestCloud operations. As the volume of users and applications grows over time, we may introduce a small percentage-based fee on donations to help sustainably cover maintenance and operational costs.

Aspects That Haven’t Worked

Inconsistent Data Collection Practices: Projects initially lacked standardized data collection protocols, which complicated integration and analysis.

Limited Early Training Support: Insufficient training materials and support initially hindered effective use of the tools.

Advice for Replication

Focus on Core Needs First: Begin with essential functionalities that directly address user needs and gradually expand features based on user feedback and evolving requirements.

Standardize Data Collection: Implement clear, uniform guidelines for data collection and reporting standards to ensure consistency across projects.

Offer Extensive Training and Support: Provide user-friendly training resources, tutorials, and ongoing technical support to help implementers fully utilize the tools.

Adapt Tools to Local Contexts: Consider regional variations in restoration practices and environments to ensure tools are versatile and relevant across diverse settings.

Prioritize Transparent Communication: Make project data accessible and understandable for all stakeholders, fostering trust and engagement.

Exploring Biodiversity Evaluation

Technical Regulation for Biodiversity Evaluation Index

The People's Government of Lishui City

To assess the status of regional biodiversity more objectively, Lishui has issued the local standard Technical Regulation for Biodiversity Evaluation Index, which stipulates the evaluation areas and objects of the biodiversity evaluation index, data collection and processing, index calculation and annual changes. It includes a comprehensive index and 6 taxonomic group indexes for plants, mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, insects (including butterflies) and aquatic organisms, which are suitable for evaluating the current status and annual changes of species biodiversity in the region.

(1) Relevant state departments have issued relevant policies and plans, emphasizing the need to strengthen biodiversity monitoring and establish a biodiversity assessment system
(2) The unit preparing the standard has professional personnel related to biodiversity
(3) Lishui City has completed the city-wide biodiversity background survey and accumulated a lot of data and lessons.

(1) The weight ratio of different biological groups and species should be considered when setting the calculation formula of biodiversity index evaluation, so the weight size should be set according to the importance of different biological groups and the rare and endangered status of species.
(2) The biodiversity assessment index needs more monitoring data to support the horizontal and vertical comparison at different levels, so it is necessary to continue to add biodiversity smart monitoring sample areas, and carry out the construction of smart monitoring sample areas in county units or smaller units.

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Development of Intelligent Identification and Regulatory Systems

Species AI Monitoring and Identification Results(1)

The People's Government of Lishui City

Species AI Monitoring and Identification Results(2)

The People's Government of Lishui City

Species AI Monitoring and Identification Results(3)

The People's Government of Lishui City

Building a Digital Regulatory System for Biodiversity in Lishui

The People's Government of Lishui City

To realize automatic species identification, Lishui has developed a species AI identification system based on image, sound and DNA. It includes an electronic specimen library, AI identification model, and an AI identification customer operation platform, etc. Through the large amount of biological information collected in the early stage, Lishui has established an automatic species identification system based on AI identification, which realizes the image and sound recognition of more than 30 species of large and medium-sized mammals, over 180 species of common birds, and over 70 species of amphibians and reptiles commonly found in East China, the DNA recognition of over 800 species of insects, and more than 500 species of aquatic organisms. In the case of terrestrial vertebrates, for example, the recognition accuracy is over 85%. Lishui has also built a digital biodiversity regulatory system, which integrates functions such as network sharing of monitoring data and automatic generation of assessment results, which has improved the overall effectiveness of the biodiversity regulatory system.

(1) Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is in a stage of rapid development, the technology is relatively mature, and the application range is wide.
(2) Relevant scientific research institutions, universities and social organizations have accumulated a large number of pictures, audio and other materials during the investigation and monitoring of biodiversity, providing important data support for the establishment of species identification specimen bank in Lishui City.
(3) Relevant state departments have issued relevant policies to support digital reforms in the field of ecological and environmental monitoring.

(1) In addition to having a relatively complete and rich electronic specimen library, it is also necessary to train and iteratively improve a large amount of data collected by field monitoring to improve the accuracy of intelligent model recognition.
(2) Limited by the ability of scientific research and technical foundation, it is difficult to establish the specimen bank of amphibian and reptile image information, and the DNA recognition specimen bank of insect and benthos detailed classification.
(3)Because of the large number of biological groups monitored and the large amount of data collected, higher GPU processors are required for species AI identification.

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Building Smart Biodiversity Monitoring Pilot Areas

Installation of Amphibian and reptile radar camera

The People's Government of Lishui City

Installation of bird vocalization recorder

The People's Government of Lishui City

Installation of real-time transmission of infrared camera

The People's Government of Lishui City

Installation of Autterfly intelligent monitor

The People's Government of Lishui City

eDNA monitoring

According to the requirements of the technical specifications and standards for smart biodiversity monitoring, Lishui has set up 20 biodiversity smart monitoring sample areas throughout the city in 2023, assembled real-time transmission infrared cameras, bird vocalization recorders, amphibian and reptile radar cameras, butterfly smart monitors and other automatic monitoring equipment, and set up 615 smart monitoring sites, including 206 large and medium-sized mammal smart monitoring equipment, 185 bird smart monitoring equipment, 100 amphibian and reptile smart monitoring equipment, 10 butterfly smart monitoring equipment, 86 terrestrial insect monitoring sites, 28 aquatic organisms monitoring sites, and 10 video surveillance cameras have been installed, realizing automatic, 24-hour smart monitoring of some species in representative areas.

(1)Lishui City has completed a city-wide biodiversity background survey, and the relevant survey sites and data provide an important reference for the selection of biodiversity smart monitoring sample areas.
(2) It has set real-time transmission infrared cameras, bird vocalization recorders, amphibian and reptile radar cameras, butterfly smart monitors and other automatic biodiversity monitoring equipment, and the equipment runs stably and the data is obtained reliably.
(3) Relevant local departments actively cooperate to ensure the normal deployment and monitoring of equipment.

(1) Some monitoring equipment cannot achieve real-time transmission function, and human recovery equipment is required, so it is necessary to continue to improve the intelligent monitoring methods of biodiversity groups
(2) Before the images, sounds and other data collected in the field are collected into the electronic specimen library for actual use, a large number of professional verification and calibration and accurate annotation by relevant experts are required to ensure the effectiveness and availability of specimens
(3) Different audio and image acquisition devices may cause differences in the collected data, affecting the accuracy, reliability and comparability of the data. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the normalization of signal data acquisition.

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Organization due diligence and project verification

Restoration standards & project review

Plant-for-the-Planet Foundation

Restoring forests is a complex and long-term endeavor that requires a holistic approach. To address this, Plant-for-the-Planet has developed its own minimum and top-tier ‘Standards’ for various restoration methods (reforestation, agroforestry, and assisted natural regeneration) that consider biological, social, and economic factors. Organizations and their projects undergo a rigorous verification process during onboarding and are evaluated against these ‘Standards’. Only those meeting the minimum ‘Standards’ are featured on the platform and allowed to actively collect donations. At first stage, the proposals are reviewed by in-house expertise.

In the second phase of due diligence, external experts visit the projects for on-site evaluations based on the established standards. These evaluation results are then reviewed, discussed, and ultimately assessed by an independent, voluntary panel of experts - the so-called Review Board.

This thorough process ensures that only high-quality, impactful projects are showcased and supported through our platform, fostering trust and delivering meaningful results. At the same time, Plant-for-the-Planet remains committed to continuously questioning, reviewing, and refining these standards, integrating the latest scientific research findings to ensure their effectiveness and relevance.

Clear and Comprehensive Standards: Establishing robust, well-defined criteria for different restoration approaches that incorporate ecological, social, and economic factors is essential for consistency and credibility.

Thorough Verification Process: A rigorous verification process during onboarding ensures that only projects meeting the standards are featured, building trust among donors and ensuring high-quality initiatives.

Expert Involvement and Independent Evaluation: External experts play a critical role in assessing projects on-site, and an independent panel ensures impartial, transparent evaluation, further strengthening the credibility of the platform.

Commitment to Continuous Improvement: Regularly reviewing and updating standards based on the latest scientific findings ensures the platform remains relevant, adaptive, and aligned with current best practices in forest restoration.

Stakeholder Engagement and Transparency: Clear communication with project owners, and experts, along with a transparent evaluation process, fosters trust and ensures ongoing support for high-quality projects.

Financing and sustainability: The in-house project reviewers and on-ground evaluation are paid through Grants from Plant-for-the-Planet Foundation. A white-label version of the Restoration Platform—such as trees.salesforce.com—also serves as a fundraising tool to support broader ForestCloud operations. As the volume of users and applications grows over time, we may introduce a small percentage-based fee on donations to help sustainably cover maintenance and operational costs.

Key Lessons Learned

Rigorous Standards Ensure Credibility: The importance of developing and maintaining clear, robust standards cannot be overstated. Well-defined criteria for different restoration approaches are crucial to ensure that only high-quality projects are featured. Without strong guidelines, it’s difficult to build trust among donors and other stakeholders.

Expert Involvement is Essential: Engaging external experts for on-site evaluations adds an important layer of credibility to the platform. Their independent assessments help ensure that projects meet the required standards and provide valuable insights into the feasibility and effectiveness of restoration efforts.

Continuous Improvement is Crucial: Regularly reviewing and updating the standards based on new scientific findings and real-world experiences ensures that the platform evolves and stays relevant. This commitment to continuous improvement fosters long-term success and adaptability in a rapidly changing field.

Aspects That Haven’t Worked

Overly Complex Verification Processes: Initially, the verification process was more cumbersome than expected, causing delays in project onboarding. This was a barrier to scaling, especially for smaller organizations with limited resources. Streamlining the verification process without compromising on quality could improve efficiency.

Inconsistent Stakeholder Engagement: At times, communication with some stakeholders — particularly local project implementers — was less frequent, which created gaps in feedback and adjustments. Ensuring more consistent engagement and collaboration throughout the verification and monitoring process would enhance the overall success.

Advice for Replication

Build Clear, Scalable Systems Early: Developing clear, scalable processes from the start can help avoid bottlenecks and inefficiencies down the line. Make sure your verification and evaluation systems can handle growth and adapt to new challenges.

Simplify the Verification Process: While rigor is important, consider building flexibility into the process so that it doesn’t become a barrier to entry. This can help support a broader range of projects while maintaining quality.

Ensure Strong Communication with All Stakeholders: Regular, transparent communication with all involved parties—including donors, project implementers, and experts—is essential. Establish clear lines of feedback and engagement to foster collaboration and ensure that everyone is aligned on the platform’s goals.

Invest in Continuous Learning: Make room for iterative improvements. Learn from both successes and challenges, and adapt the platform’s processes and standards as you gather new data and insights.

Implementation

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Global

Project quality standards

Research and Development of Smart Biodiversity Monitoring Equipment

real-time transmission of infrared camera

The People's Government of Lishui City

Amphibian and reptile radar camera

The People's Government of Lishui City

bird vocalization recorder

The People's Government of Lishui City

Autterfly intelligent monitor

The People's Government of Lishui City

Solar panel

The People's Government of Lishui City

eDNA

The People's Government of Lishui City

Lishui entrusted the Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, MEE, jointly with the relevant technical institutions, have innovatively developed a radar camera for amphibians and reptiles monitoring, an intelligent monitor for butterfly monitoring, improved and developed a new bird vocalization recorder, building an automatic biodiversity intelligent monitoring system with real-time transmission of infrared camera, bird vocalization recorder, amphibian and reptile radar camera, butterfly intelligent monitor, and other new and intelligent monitoring equipment. Lishui has applied the above equipment to its smart biodiversity monitoring work, changing the traditional biodiversity monitoring mode which relies on human investigation, effectively saving manpower and time costs.

(1) Cooperation among experts in various fields: biologists provide biological expertise, such as the habits and distribution of different organisms; Engineers are responsible for the design, manufacture and optimization of hardware equipment; Computer scientists focus on the development of software algorithms, such as AI recognition algorithms, through the collaboration of experts in various fields to jointly promote the Research and Development of intelligent monitoring equipment for biodiversity.
(2) Inter-institutional cooperation: Get the policy and support of government departments, the professional support of scientific research institutions, the production and manufacturing capacity support of enterprises, etc., to jointly provide guarantee for equipment research and development.

(1) Research and development costs are high, and the cost of real-time transmission monitoring equipment is 5 times that of non-real-time transmission equipment, which require further reduction and increased efficiency.
(2) The intelligent monitoring methods of some biological groups are not perfect. For example, the intelligent monitor for butterflies still needs to be studied and improved, such as the types of necessary attractants and the maintenance of aging.
(3) The intelligent operation of monitoring equipment needs to be strengthened, and the image and voice print transmission of real-time transmission monitoring equipment is limited by communication signals, power supply and other conditions, especially in mountainous and dense areas.

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