📉 Ecological Monitoring
Activities
Monitoring Strategy
Monitoring pairs formal science with in-context participation: “cold” metrics and “warm” observation together describe watershed condition. Citizen science tracks woodland, river, and coastal habitats; nature-connectedness workshops use paired individual and group evaluation. The point is not only whether targets are met but whether interventions match need—using community reflection to “warm” technical data and adjust practice accordingly.
MRV Collective Development
The MRV Collective (measurement, reporting, verification) seeks transparency for regenerative outcomes. Sensors track eleven soil parameters; the aim is reliable field data and burial protocols so regenerative management is not left only to costly consultants while chemical inputs carry ready labels.
Ecological Assessment and Monitoring
In 2022, researchers and community members sampled macroinvertebrates in three Cruces tributaries—Colico, Afunalhue, and Petrohue. Stream quality varied by site: Afunalhue and Petrohue scored good quality; Colico was slightly degraded. Names carry history: *Cudico* suggests dirty water; *Colico*, yellow water. Camera traps showed a skewed roster: six of nine species exotic—dogs, cats, sheep, cattle, rodents—versus three native. Native fox and güiña (kodkod) still appear as hopeful signs. The work sets baselines and indicator species for later comparison. The community mapped currents across the territory, tracing contamination. At least four flows remain in good ecological condition; Coihueco stream shows degradation. Watershed characterization links local flows to neighboring areas and tracks shifts in species and water quality.
Results-Based Farming Program
The programme puts a price on good management through results-based payments. A rapid field assessment scores each parcel out of 10 for overall condition—biodiversity, water, soil, invasive pressure, and related indicators. Higher scores mean higher payments. Staff do not prescribe practices; they set targets, and farmers who meet them are rewarded. Poor scores unlock targeted investment—water systems, fencing, feeding layouts—so outcomes can improve over successive seasons. Bureaucracy was deliberately stripped back: the annual farm plan is two pages—a map, the scores, and suggested improvements—plus one signature per year. That lightness helps keep farmers in the scheme and treats them as the main conservation workforce on the ground.
Family Land Biodiversity Index
A project involving 43 farmers with the goal of ensuring at least 10% of farmland is dedicated to biodiversity while maintaining farm viability. To this end, they developed the Family Land Biodiversity Index (FBI), a tool designed to reward farmers for ecological stewardship. Unlike traditional conservation schemes that rely on static subsidies for setting aside land, the FBI is a results-based incentive system with four components: biodiversity survey, farm-specific biodiversity plans, annual biodiversity scoring, and results-based payments. The project developed a digital tools to accurately measure space for nature on farms and verify the ecological quality of these areas. The outcomes of the project were exciting. Farmers reported 5–10% revenue increases through diversified income sources, such as agroforestry and eco-tourism. The 43-farm discussion group created a strong social fabric, and even neighboring farms started creating their own habitat corridors. This created biodiversity gains including pollinator population recovery, recovery of ground-nesting bird species, and improved soil health. The FBI model is now being considered for wider agricultural policy reforms at the national and EU level.
Biocultural Jaguar Credits Program
This pilot conservation program aims to create and demonstrate a fully transparent ecological-economic model that safeguards Earth's biosphere while enhancing human wellbeing. Launched in partnership with the Sharamentsa Achuar community, the program integrates indigenous stewardship with modern technology to protect jaguar habitats. Jaguars serve as an "umbrella species"—their protection indirectly protects other species in the habitat—and are classified as endangered. The program targets 10,000 hectares of critical jaguar habitat in intact Ecuadorian jungle through blockchain-verified conservation credits. A robust monitoring and reporting plan, including satellite, cameras and community monitoring, supports validation of credit issuance. The credits are based on the peer-reviewed ERA Biodiversity Stewardship Methodology and issued on the open Regen Network Registry. By the time of its launch in 2024, the program had already secured $75,000+ in pre-sale commitments, representing two-thirds of initial credit availability.
Ecoregenerative Certification
Ecoregenerative Certification is a voluntary standard for farms that are already organic and want to show they go further: they manage land in ways that improve soil, water, and biodiversity, not only meet organic rules. That gives farmers, cooperatives, and buyers a clearer story in the market—consumers can trust the claim because it is checked against regenerative practice, not just the word on a pack. The standard applies to the main crops of the Altiplano: tree crops such as almond, olive, pistachio, grape, and walnut; field crops such as cereals and legumes; and aromatic herbs. Rules are tuned to each farm and crop rather than applied as a one-size-fits-all list, so the same seal can mean something serious whether the holder is a grower, a cooperative, or a brand further down the chain.
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
A robust monitoring system ensures transparency and scientific rigor across all restoration work. Acción Serrana maintains permanent ecological plots in 12 reforestation areas, with university-led citizen science programs tracking restoration progress. The system includes more than 8 years of technical reporting, monitoring tree growth and survival rates over five-year periods after planting. Current measurements show approximately 70% tree survival rates—a significant achievement in high-altitude environments with challenging growing conditions. The monitoring system tracks multiple indicators: hectares restored, tree survival and growth, employment generation, staff involvement, and landscape-scale ecological changes. This comprehensive approach enables adaptive management, replicability across sites, and accountability to local communities, funders, and the scientific community.