The TREEO Technology: A Certified digital Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (dMRV) tool for tree-planting efforts

Full Solution

by Johannes Schwegler, TREEO | Fairventures Digital GmbH

Tree monitoring with the TREEO App

TREEO | Fairventures Digital GmbH

The TREEO Technology - the first dMRV tool certified under the Global Tree C-Sink standard from Carbon Standards International - lets you prove your tree planting efforts to your stakeholders through forest inventory and even carbon sequestration calculations. The TREEO App works through image processing and machine learning models based on tree allometry, which allow for the calculation of biomass (thus the amount of carbon in a tree) by measuring the tree’s diameter at breast height (DBH). The App then calculates the CO2 sequestered by tree in a matter of seconds. When the trees are small (with a DBH less than 3 cm and less than 1.3 m in height), you can still report tree evidence for your inventory and survival rate estimations via the App. The TREEO App also collects other data such as GPS coordinates, GPS accuracy, and azimuth, as well as tree species. This information is uploaded and stored on the TREEO Cloud, our data management system where you can manage your project, teams, and data.

Last update: 20 Aug 2024

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Context

Challenges addressed

Desertification

Drought

Erratic rainfall

Extreme heat

Floods

Increasing temperatures

Land and Forest degradation

Loss of Biodiversity

Erosion

Unsustainable harvesting incl. Overfishing

Infrastructure development

Lack of alternative income opportunities

Lack of food security

Lack of technical capacity

Poor monitoring and enforcement

Tree planting and restoration project implementers increasingly need to be data-driven to report to stakeholders and improve operations. The TREEO technology supports them throughout the entire process, from land plotting and team management to tree inventory and regular monitoring. Unlike manual methods, TREEO automatically stores and organizes data in the TREEO Cloud. Unlike satellite surveys, TREEO provides more accurate data, avoiding over- or underestimations.

With granular data from TREEO, projects can improve in real-time by monitoring the survival rate of their planting efforts and replanting as needed. Our initial projects have also shown that this approach fosters a sense of community, responsibility, and environmental stewardship among local communities.

Scale of implementation

Local

Global

Ecosystems

Agroforestry

Temperate deciduous forest

Temperate evergreen forest

Tropical deciduous forest

Tropical evergreen forest

Green spaces (parks, gardens, urban forests)

Theme

Habitat fragmentation and degradation

Adaptation

Mitigation

Restoration

Local actors

Land management

Terrestrial spatial planning

Agriculture

Forest Management

Standards/ certification

Location

Uganda

East and South Africa

Process

Summary of the process

Our due diligence process and capacity building guarantee the projects are done in-line with target standards and goals and can provide trustworthy data. The TREEO Technology provides the tools for seamlessly collecting tree by tree data and managing the projects, leading to the operational excellence of the implementers. Finally, the TREEO Impact Dashboard provides an easy way to report their results and impact.

Building Blocks

Reforestation Project Due Diligence

The TREEO SaaS product provides project implementers with tools to carry out their due diligence process for their tree planting projects and provides data insights into the viability of the project or if the project meets with target standards and goals. This will be enabled through the following instruments:

Land survey: designates the geographical boundaries of tree planting project areas (or plots)
App is configured for remote locations without signal
Built-in questionnaires should help to find out whether the projects are suitable for using the app
Personalized onboarding helps project implementers to use the entire TREEO technology correctly
Go & No-go zone: shows the plantable and non-plantable areas
Data validation: validation of monitoring data to ensure project compliance
Satellite verification: an additional layer of data validation as well as historical checks on land cover and land use

This provides a replicable solution to collect land survey data and proper site selection. The TREEO App is designed as an offline-first app that works in remote regions even without internet connection (the data would be uploaded at the next possible connection).

Enabling factors

Established Technology: The TREEO Technology is fully operational, having been tested and continuously used in monitoring by our tree-planting partners over the past two years
Open Access EO Data: Eligibility and boundary setting for planting sites are determined using open access Earth Observation (EO) data
Market Demand for Trustworthy Data: The current market demand for reliable data on tree planting activities empowers partners with better control over planting quantities, mortality rates, and offers a tool to publicly verify their planting efforts

Lesson learned

Go/No-Go Zones: we encountered land included in the project that were not suitable for planting, hence it was important to have the go-zone feature implementation
Technology: simplify the UX design to facilitate the tech optics in rural populations
Land survey: provide trainings for farmers to improve the land survey measurement quality

Single Tree Monitoring

The TREEO technology allows project implementers to monitor their tree-planting efforts in a matter of seconds via the TREEO App and manage their data in the TREEO Cloud. Single-tree monitoring is actually very simple: walk around the forest and take a picture of their trees in the forest. TREEO technology will take care of the rest. Although it sounds too simple, it brings many advantages compared to standard methods available.

Single tree monitoring entails the data capture (GPS coordinates, diameter, species name, sequestered CO2 and so much more) of your trees on the plot using the TREEO App and in only a matter of seconds. Our technology provides the highest level of accuracy in CO2 calculation with a scientific basis that uses species- and climate-zone-specific allometric formulas, image processing, and machine learning. It is also the first Digital Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (dMRV) tool endorsed under the Global Tree C-Sink standard from Carbon Standards International, qualifying it for global use in tree-planting projects.

Enabling factors

TREEO App: The TREEO App is at the heart of single-tree monitoring, through the app you will be supported to collect precise data of each and every single tree by scanning them at the DBH (diameter of breast height) with having a TREEO card as a subject of measurement for the scanning process. Additionally, its UX aspects makes it user friendly for farmers to utilize its different features. The whole process is simplified down to the smallest detail so that anyone can implement it.
Project implementers / tree-planting project developers: There is a demand from project implementers all around the world, who want to enhance their transparency through single-tree monitoring in order to prove their planting activities for the public and their stakeholders.
In-house specialists: We have an in-house technology specialists team that provides support to tree monitors to enhance their skills in doing single-tree monitoring. Additionally, our in-house foresters can provide allometric formulas for different species per region.
Regulations: Upcoming regulations around the carbon markets, deforestation, and sustainability in the supply chain require certified processes and tools to guarantee the data and project quality. The TREEO App is already certified thanks to its science-based foundation through the Global Tree C-Sink Standards from Carbon Standards International. It is the first dMRV tool endorsed under this standard.

Lesson learned

When originating the idea of offering our technology as a SaaS solution, we thought it would only help companies/NGOs that are operating in the Voluntary Carbon Market, because of the precise carbon calculation we offer. But within a short time, we realized that our product adds value for more target groups, even if they are not operating in the VCM and just want to track the number of trees they have planted, how many survive, and other monitoring needs.

While enhancing our single-tree monitoring activities and technology, we had a few challenges to master, for example so the wifi connection can be off in the planting regions. That’s why our technology can be used as a 100% offline-first tool for monitoring the trees.

Weather patterns have a strong impact on tree monitoring, since most of the projects are affected by rainy seasons. This needs to be considered and can impact the speed of delivery and progress per day.

We needed a data validation add-on, due to the misuse (e.g. photographing other objects) of the App. Therefore, we have implemented automatic tracking, which later our forestry team manually double-checks the anomalies detected by the automatic one.

Resources

How the TREEO algorithm works

Capacity building to enhance TREEO App utilization

TREEO SaaS product enhances the skills, knowledge, and abilities of our users, enabling them to effectively utilize the app’s features for tree monitoring and carbon sequestration. We aim to ensure that users can maximize the app’s potential, leading to more accurate data collection, better project management, and ultimately, more successful reforestation projects.

It also enables user empowerment, increases project transparency, and supports the scalability and sustainability of reforestation efforts. We do this through training, tutorials, and guides that provide hands-on experience and detailed documentation. Ongoing support via a dedicated customer service team, and FAQs.

Enabling factors

In house specialists: help to solve the daily challenges from a distance and also on-site immediately
Offline technology that supports access in remote regions: most of the planting sites are remotely located and therefore the wifi signal can be weak in those areas. Our app ensures to collect all the data even offline
Ongoing support and customer service: we provide trainings on tool implementation; how to use the technology for all the use cases (land survey, project management, reporting, exporting data, etc.); we do a detailed training and onboarding process
User-friendly interface (TREEO App) - plus in-app training: Understanding that some of our app users might be illiterate, we have designed the app to be self-explanatory and supported by training manuals and visual aids.

Lesson learned

Offering TREEO App as a SaaS product has helped us gather user feedback which has enabled us to identify areas of improvement. Therefore, with every update we consider the user feedback to make the app more user-friendly.
We maintain clear and transparent communication with our different customers about updates, new features, and best practices. This allows them to be fully equipped on how to use the TREEO app leading to better utilization of our product offering.
Our capacity building fosters environmental stewardship and motivate local people to actively participate in climate action - a “co-benefit” of such projects
Setting up the Customer Success team to conduct both remote and on-site training on-demand.
To ensure complete understanding, our training team uses the local languages of the area in their sessions with farmers.

Resources

Find more resources here

Operational excellence

With TREEO's technology, project implementers gain real-time insights into the status of their projects through on-the-ground data. This enables them to make timely corrective actions without needing to visit the field in person.

Adopting the TREEO Technology supports project implementers in managing their teams and monitoring their tree-planting efforts. In the past, tape measurements were used to track the growth of trees, which usually takes a lot of time, especially when the data of a lot of trees are needed. Remote sensing is another popular way of estimating tree biomass, however, this is not species-specific and leads to overestimations thus a lack of trust in the data. The single-tree monitoring approach is providing a solution which simplifies the process, while receiving the data within a few seconds only. After collecting the data of the tree measurement through the app, it will be provided in the TREEO Cloud.

The TREEO Cloud is the project and data management system connected to the TREEO App which allows project implementers to manage their teams and analyze the collected data. It provides necessary functionalities to manage projects with millions of monitored trees and import/export to GIS tools, and facilitates seamless team and project management to manage the data. TREEO Cloud has a strong user management and access rights control system. Every organisation registered in the TREEO Cloud has 4 default user roles. These roles can be modified or new roles can be created on request.

Enabling factors

TREEO App: to simplify the tree measurement and receiving data within seconds
TREEO Cloud: a data management system to support the project implementer in managing their teams and analyzing the data collected - and making this available immediately and remotely
Project implementers: to manage their teams for doing the single-tree and using the data collected for reporting their planting activities or measuring the amount of CO2 sequestered in a specific area
Ex-ante modeling: gives a better idea of the expected growth rates in a specific location and allows project implementers to compare year-to-year the ex-post with ex-ante measurements and track the projects success; benchmarking.

Lesson learned

Every project is different and so are the needs of the project implementers. Therefore, we are providing different packages for our SaaS customers to fulfill their specific needs.
Researching the allometric formulas for native tree species in various regions is a complex and challenging task. This complexity underscores the need for integrating more in-depth species research into the app. Allometric formulas are crucial because they allow for precise estimations of tree biomass, carbon storage, and growth rates, which can differ widely among species and geographical areas. By enhancing the app with more detailed species-specific data, TREEO can provide more accurate insights into tree growth and its environmental impacts. This integration will significantly improve the app's utility and trustworthiness for project implementers and users, ensuring that TREEO's technology remains at the forefront of environmental monitoring and management.
Providing the technology in different languages
UX: more intuitive and easy-to-use operation, so that illiterates can also navigate easily through the app with training videos or pictures to demonstrate the processes
We identified the need for training manuals for every single activity on the App and Cloud

Resources

Find more resources here

Impact Reporting

Environmental restoration initiatives need to report to their donors and other stakeholders the impact of their investments. The TREEO Impact Dashboard is a platform where the results from implementer’s projects are showcased, thereby providing evidence from their planting and monitoring efforts which they can use for further reporting and sharing with their stakeholders. The Impact Dashboard, with single sign-on capabilities, displays the data from tree monitoring, including sequestered CO2, biodiversity monitoring, and data from the socioeconomic surveys if performed. This fosters easy reporting as well as provides interactive and clean visualisation for the implementer’s stakeholders (donors, sponsors, government agencies, and companies). Impact reporting data comes from the TREEO Cloud and can be exported and published based on each project’s needs.

Enabling factors

The TREEO Technology is already integrated in a way the the data from the App is stored in the Cloud and then available on the Impact Dashboard, which can be customized for each project’s needs
Market demand for proving the results of your planting efforts
Regulations which undertake companies/organizations to report

Lesson learned

Each stakeholder has different needs and the Dashboard can be tailored to each
We started with too few features and learned that each stakeholder has specific requests that we have been adding (like biodiversity and socioeconomic data reporting)
Project implementers also need farmer stories for their marketing materials which we can also provide via the impact dashboard
We started with the Dashboard only available to the developers themselves, but as they want portions of it to be easy to integrate in their own websites or shared with their stakeholders we’ve implemented this as well

Impacts

The TREEO App currently has over 1500 registered users, and 500 active users on a weekly basis. The TREEO Technology has registered over 4,600 land surveys and over 2.35 million tree measurements! Our SaaS product has been implemented in Uganda, Indonesia, Croatia, and is soon coming to South America.

Beneficiaries

Project implementers benefit from the data-driven work that the TREEO technology enables, improving their knowledge of their own projects, monitoring, and reporting efforts. This level of knowledge has also fostered local environmental stewardship.