In late November 2023, members from the veritree team returned from an important site visit at one of our flagship projects in Kenya. Fresh from their journey to Mombasa and Nairobi, here are some updates and insights from the visit.

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Transformations

Over the past year, thanks to the support and trust of our corporate partners and alongside our amazing planting partner, EarthLungs, we have achieved some incredible milestones.

Collectively, we are now contributing to the planting of more than 2 million mangroves a month, providing stable employment opportunities for 258 permanent full-time jobs, 300 regular part-time jobs and more than 1,000 part-time opportunities. These are reliable, meaningful jobs that did not exist a year ago today.

We saw and heard firsthand from the community about how this work is transforming barren landscapes into thriving societies. We also heard from many community members who shared that previous to their work with EarthLungs, they were facing significant hardship and lacked a reliable source of income. Now, they are consistently able to put food on the table, pay their children’s school fees, and have found stability through purposeful employment.

To cap it off, our partnership with EarthLungs was recognized by the Chief Conservator of Forests of Kenya as the best work he's seen in the country. We sincerely believe that thanks to the support of our corporate partners, the impact of this partnership is just getting started.

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Setting Standards

Our recent visit also provided an opportunity for us to roll out a rigorous process for evaluating and measuring the success of mangrove projects. The importance of standards and methodologies in the context of mangrove restoration cannot be overstated, as they promote consistency, quality, efficient resource allocation, collaboration, adaptability, and long-term success.  In support of this, the team implemented a comprehensive procedure, using GIS Shapefiles, historical land-cover analysis, and geospatial layers to measure and evaluate the projects.

The team established reference sites, comparing restored ecosystems to healthy ones to gauge our project's impact. The incorporation of scientific rigor, reflected in veritree's internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), ensures that our project doesn't just focus on inputs like trees planted but prioritizes measurable outcomes such as carbon sequestration and biodiversity.

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Technology Infusion

A key focus of our visit also included launching, expanding, and integrating new technology into the field. This included AI-driven computer vision models that are analyzing propagules (mangrove seeds) in real-time, and deploying novel IOT sensors for continuous monitoring. A core component of this initiative is our commitment to teaching local communities the ins and outs of the technology, making them not just beneficiaries but empowered stewards of the project from the outset.

As we integrate technology into every phase of our project, from site analysis to ongoing monitoring, it increasingly becomes the foundation for informed decision-making. The real-time data that we’re gathering with the help of what has grown to a team of project managers on the ground is allowing us to design and scale restoration projects that are not just effective but efficient.

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Exciting Opportunities Ahead

As we reflect on our this trip, we celebrate the growth, the impact, and the possibilities ahead. Thank you to our corporate partners for being a part of this extraordinary journey with us. Together, we’re not just planting trees, we’re changing lives.

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