Our biodiversity approach
We ensure projects have a tangible impact on Nature, climate, and the livelihoods of communities, recognizing that these three elements must work together for long-term project success.
aDryada’s mission is to scale up the protection and restoration of Nature for and with people by mobilizing investment. This is facilitated by the fact that the company develops large-scale projects with long-term commitments:
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Restoring entire landscapes – most projects are a minimum of 50,000 hectares (except mangroves) – enables the recreation of ecosystems that are stable and resilient where animals, insects, and birds will naturally return to. This goes beyond only working with High Conservation Value areas.
Being grounded in long-term commitments of a minimum of 40 years gives ecosystems the time to develop, mature, and stabilize – quality restoration can’t be rushed.
Our approach involves mitigating human pressures in all the projects, and then deploying a targeted strategy focused on the core restoration zone.
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aDryada mitigates human pressures by:
Establishing a core restoration zone, free of any activities putting pressure on biodiversity such as harvesting, hunting, and so forth.
Surrounding the core restoration zone with a buffer zone where human pressures are reduced, by, for example, promoting sustainable land-based activities.
Transitioning the core restoration zone into a protected area such as a national park or sustainably managed forest at the end of the project’s life, when possible.
In the core restoration zone, aDryada aims to achieve the species composition, structure, and dynamics of the reference ecosystem (for example, a neighboring forest).
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This is achieved by:
Identifying the appropriate reference ecosystem with the help of local partners and communities, who have interacted with the environment for generations.
Conserving any remaining patches of nature.
Applying a hierarchy of techniques when restoring the degraded land, depending on the level of degradation. We prioritize minimal intervention by assisted natural regeneration, then enrichment planting, and full plantation as a last resort.
When planting, aDryada uses exclusively native trees, selecting a diverse mix aligned with successional stages (pioneer, secondary, and climax) taking into account water pressures and climate change. To boost the structural diversity, aDryada will sometimes intervene, by, for example, leaving dead trees (standing or lying) which are essential for soil fertility and provide micro-habitats for small organisms. Spontaneous return of micro-fauna in turn is important for the restoration of the entire trophic chain.
Progress towards the reference ecosystem is measured using the Society for Ecological Restoration methodology guidebook.
The objective is to measure 18 ecosystem characteristics across 6 categories (e.g. species composition, structural diversity, absence of threats) as recommended.
aDryada selects Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) tailored to the ecosystem of the project.
These KPIs are measured at different points throughout the project using a multitude of tools depending on the KPI, for example trap cameras for the monitoring of animal species.
We prioritize:
On-the-ground monitoring, employing local people.
Continuous improvement of techniques and actions. To do this, aDryada has developed Celestree, a unique platform optimizing the collection of data from all the company’s projects.
Quality practices over species measurement.
To enhance the value of these restored forests or mangroves, aDryada has co-founded the Organization for Biodiversity Certificates (OBC), which unites companies, NGOs, and experts to create biodiversity certificates and the associated worldwide market.
Thanks to the association’s unique and operational approach (certificates are based on the biodiversity impact of practices that are implemented in the field), large-scale pilots are already being implemented in various countries.