Decide your pathway:

1. Spread the word: If you're an existing initiative doing ecosystem restoration you can use the funds to provide educational workshops/training to other regional communities interested in starting similar programs or;

2. Start the work: If you are interested in starting your own restoration activity, you can used the funds to launch/expand your own smaller-scale land restoration programs

Plan the workshop

Choosing the educational workshop/training pathway allows you to share your restoration expertise and inspire others to take action in their communities.

Here's a closer look at what you can do:

• Develop and Deliver Workshops: Design and facilitate engaging workshops.

• Create Training Materials: Develop comprehensive training materials, including presentations, handouts, resource guides, and activity plans, to support workshop participants in implementing their own restoration projects. 

• Provide Ongoing Support: Offer ongoing support and mentorship to workshop participants as they launch their own initiatives. 

• Reach a Wider Audience: Travel to other regional communities to deliver your workshops and share your knowledge. 

• Build a Network of Restoration Leaders: Connect with other workshop facilitators and participants to create a network of restoration leaders.

or

Plan and do the restoration work

1. Develop a Restoration Plan for the site with help from the ERC knowlege platform and team. 

   1. Understand the contour lines of the land

   2. Understand the soil conditions and what is needed to make the soil suitable for tree planting 

   3. Establish a water supply (either water retention measures in the land, or existing water sources you can use)

   4. Determine which species of trees you can plant, considering the biome and local conditions 

2. Develop the plan for your tree-nursery (if applicable)

3. Undertake the measures needed to prepare the land for trees (soil health (compost/mulching), water retention measures)

4. Find people to help you dig holes and plant trees, and provide any training if needed. Also understand potential health- and safety risks involved in doing the work and make sure people understand these. 

5. Plant the trees in line with your plan 

6. Share videos, photography, and stories of your tree-planting journey with the ERC communications team to inspire others to take on this work.

Maintain the restoration site 

Just planting the tree is not sufficient. 80% of all trees planted in projects without a maintenance plan die before the end of the first year. We want to prevent that:

1. If the soil and holes are properly prepared and water-retention measures are put in place the chance of survival is much higher

2. Check your trees regularly in the first year, and make sure they have enough water (water them, if necessary) and that they are disease-free

3. Use the resources available at ERC (including in the ERC network) to learn about how to make a tree-planting effort successfu

Monitor and Evaluate the restoration work

• After 6 months, assess the impact of your work

• Report on the data you have gathered to ChangeX 

• Write an article on how you did the work, and which lessons you learned and it can be published on the ChangeX website 

If you are not an ERC yet

• After you finished the project we would love to see if you could become an ERC and join the thousands of people and almost a ninety projects worldwide that share resources and knowledge. If you would like to see if you are eligible please have a look at: https://www.ecosystemrestorationcommunities.org/join-as-a-restoration-community/