Last updated: April 29, 2026
In Misiones, Argentina, local farmers are helping restore parts of the Atlantic Forest through conservation, assisted natural regeneration, and agroforestry. The project supports habitat restoration, biodiversity protection, and more sustainable land use in one of the most important remaining areas of the Atlantic Forest.
The initiative also helps reduce pressure on native forest and supports coexistence between local communities and wildlife, including jaguars.
This project update connects with our wider guide to NGO partnerships and biodiversity governance, where we explain how environmental partnerships can support credible conservation outcomes.
In short, the project combines forest restoration, agroforestry, local farmer participation, water infrastructure, and native species planting to help restore degraded land while supporting people who live near the forest.
What this project supports
This Atlantic Forest restoration project supports three connected goals:
- Restoring degraded forest habitat
- Helping farmers adopt agroforestry practices
- Reducing pressure on wildlife habitat in an area where jaguars and people share the landscape
Why this Atlantic Forest restoration project began
The Atlantic Forest is one of the world’s most threatened biodiversity hotspots, and restoration there has been recognized as part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration because healthier ecosystems support climate resilience, biodiversity, food security, and water security.
The Trinational Atlantic Forest Pact was declared a UN World Restoration Flagship, highlighting the global importance of restoring Atlantic Forest landscapes across Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
And our environmental partners responded to the call by rolling up their sleeves and getting to work. An initiative was created to tackle the issues in one of the largest remaining areas of continuous Atlantic Forest in Misiones (Argentina).
Misiones contains one of Argentina’s most important remaining Atlantic Forest landscapes, but much of the forest is fragmented across farms, plantations, and pastureland. The IUCN contribution page on Atlantic Forest restoration notes that remaining core areas in Misiones are habitat for the endangered jaguar, making connectivity especially important.
To address this situation, our environmental partners at WeForest started an initiative to restore 196 hectares of Atlantic Forest with local farmers.
According to WeForest’s Misiones project page, the project includes 141 hectares restored mainly through conservation and assisted natural regeneration, plus 49 hectares through agroforestry. Local farmers receive training, materials, and support. In return, each participating farmer safeguards part of their land for restoration and agroforestry.
This model helps connect larger areas of Atlantic Forest, supports more sustainable livelihoods, and increases available habitat for biodiversity.
Progress so far
Site preparations began in early 2023 with a first cohort of 24 farmers. A second cohort of 31 farmers in 2024 brought the total to 55 participating farmers. Today, 55 hectares are under full restoration planting and 110 hectares are undergoing enrichment planting, representing about 165 hectares of habitat restoration in Misiones. Another 55 hectares are being managed toward agroforestry, supporting productive land use while contributing to ecosystem function.
The project also supported quality-of-life improvements. Because drought can be a serious challenge for local communities, water capture infrastructure was installed to collect and purify rainwater for irrigation and household use.
The restoration work also required strong coordination from the field team. Early in 2023, our partners closed several agreements with three small nurseries to provide seedlings of the 44 native species needed for restoration. By November 2023, these seedlings had been distributed to participating farmers. Although the rainy season was at its end at that point, a period of extended rain allowed the participants to plant everything by December.
This project shows how restoration can support both people and biodiversity when local communities are part of the solution. As more farmers participate, the project can continue restoring habitat, supporting agroforestry, and helping protect one of Argentina’s most important forest ecosystems.
For Dots.eco, project updates like this help show how environmental impact can move from a digital action to a real-world conservation outcome. The value is not only in supporting restoration, but also in helping people understand where impact happens, who is involved, and what kind of progress is being made.
For more on how biodiversity projects can be structured and communicated, explore our guide to biodiversity impact types and conservation projects.
