Rooted in Recovery: 15 Reforestation Projects Rescuing Endangered Wildlife
It is becoming an effective multi-faceted solution to the twin issues of declining biodiversity as well as climate-related change. Through strategically restoring forests conservationists are not just taking carbon from the atmosphere, but they are also restoring crucial habitats for species near disappearing. Here are top 15 reforestation projects helping save endangered animals.
1. Room to Roam Initiative (East & Southern Africa)
Endangered Species Benefiting: African Savannah Elephants
This ambitious project at a landscape scale combats habitat fragmentation through leasing land from local communities to build migratory corridors for elephants. Through the linking of isolated populations in Kenya and Mozambique this initiative promotes genetic diversity in the ecosystem engineers. Conservationists work with local communities to establish eco-friendly lifestyles and climate-friendly agriculture which reduces human-elephant conflicts. Since its inception, the movement of elephants has risen by 62% within core corridors, which has indirectly protected countless other species of savannah .
2. Manas National Park Restoration (Assam, India)
Endangered Species Benefiting: Greater One-Horned Rhinos
After poachers decimated Manas” rhino population,” the Manas Coalition has restored about 180,000 ha of forests, and created a ground-breaking programme to help rhino orphans. Twenty-one rhinos that were hand-reared in Kaziranga National Park were successfully returned to the park, resulting in an enviable population of around 45 individuals in the present. Educational programs educated more than 50,000 children from the local community in conservation, spawning an entirely new generation of guardians of Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
3. Atlantic Forest Restoration (Argentina)
Endangered Species Benefiting: Jaguars, Tapirs, 400+ Bird Species
The indigenous Mbya Guarani villages have planted more than 90,000 native trees over 180 hectares of forest that has been destroyed. Through the prioritization of local fruit trees and native plants, the program improves the supply of food for endangered species of birds, including the red-browed amazon parrot, a crucial seed disperser which speeds up the process of regenerating forests. The work will directly increase the habitat corridors of the world’s biggest predator threatened jaguar as well as empowering native stewardship.
4. South most Preserve (Texas, USA)
Endangered Species Benefiting: Ocelots, Jaguarundis
The Rio Grande Valley initiative restores Tamaulipan thornscrub forests along with Montezuma Cypress–a keystone species to rare felines. There are only about 80 ocelots in Texas because of habitat disappearance. By connecting fragmented thickets native vegetation, the project offers important cover and habitat for prey. Camera traps have confirmed that ocelots are using restored corridors within the first 18 months after the planting .
5. Bwindi Buffer Zone Reforestation (Uganda)
Endangered Species Benefiting: Mountain Gorillas
With only 1,000 mountain gorillas in the wild This project plant indigenous trees in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. By expanding buffers for forest farmers can plant shade-tolerant crops, without invading gorilla territory. Agro forestry and beehives provide a the sustainable income needed to reduce the pressure on habitats. Gorilla Doctors have reported lower respiratory infections because tree cover has reduced the contact between wild and human .
6. Black Summer Bush fire Recovery (Australia)
Endangered Species Benefiting: Glossy Black Cockatoos, Koalas
In the aftermath of Australia’s devastating wildfires in 2019 and 2020 Conservationists constructed 120 specially-designed nest boxes, and also carved 20 hollows of trees to accommodate species dependent on hollows. They also planted more than 2,000 she-oaks, the primary food source for endangered glossy black Cockatoos. The control of soil erosion and the natural grass regeneration can also aid in the recovery of koalas. Early surveillance shows 12 cockatoos fledging in nests made of artificial material .
7. Madidi-Tambopata Coffee Agroforestry (Peru)
Endangered Species Benefiting: Andean Bears, Spider Monkeys
Coffee-growing families planted 17,000 indigenous Inga as well as Albizia trees over 25 hectares, forming canopy bridges that cross the valleys that were cleared of forest. These nitrogen-fixing trees halt erosion in the soil, while allowing bears and monkeys to safely travel through Peru’s Madidi and Bahuaja and Sonene national parks. Participating farms experienced an average of 30% coffee production an increase due to shade-grown beans .
8. Red Spruce Restoration (West Virginia, USA)
Endangered Species Benefiting: Carolina Northern Flying Squirrels
Red spruce forests that are high-elevation and crucial for the threatened flying squirrel were devastated through the logging. Conservationists have restored more than 3,000 acres with saplings from nursery gardens. The squirrels need mature spruce cones to feed and tree cavities to nest. Motion-sensor cameras have been able to capture squirrels that glide between stands, signalling the restoration of habitat connectivity .
9. Ant Forest Project (China)
Endangered Species Benefiting: Snow Leopards, Asian Elephants
The platform on the internet enlisted 690 million users for the purpose of planting 475 millions actual trees in China’s degraded regions. For Yunnan province, the restored corridors decreased conflict between humans and animals by 40%, by offering alternative routes. Infrared cameras located in Shanxi’s newly restored forests caught snow leopards, the first in 20 years, proving that large carnivores are returning to their habitats .
10. Long leaf Pine Restoration (Southeastern USA)
Endangered Species Benefiting: Gopher Tortoises, Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers
At one time, the area covered was 90 million acres In reality, only three percent of long leaf pine ecosystems are left. Conservators plant thousands of seeds every year to restore this forest that is adapted to fire. The project directly helps 350 species such as gopher tortoises, which are in danger of disappearing. Their burrows are home to rare snakes and indigo snakes. The nest cavities of mature pines house the critically endangered woodpecker with the red-cockaded .
11. Mbeliling Watershed Reforestation (Indonesia)
Endangered Species Benefiting: Komodo Dragons, Flores Hawks
At Flores Island, community groups planted 19,000 saplings over 41 acres of degraded watershed. The restoration of the native merbau and sandalwood tree improves the stability of slopes close to Komodo National Park, reducing the risk of sand erosion on beaches that are used for nesting dragons. The tests on water quality reveal an increase of 60% in turbidity. This benefits the aquatic predator species that feed on this world’s biggest lizard .
12. White bark Pine Recovery (Northern Rockies, USA)
Endangered Species Benefiting: Grizzly Bears
Grizzlies depend on the white bark pine nuts to provide feeding prior to hibernation. These trees are decimated by blister rust groups plant resistant seedlings throughout Montana in addition to Wyoming. Genetic screening makes sure that the pines being planted are naturally resistant. Bears with GPS collars are now able to revisit the restored forests during crucial fall time periods for food, proving the importance of habitat .
13. Mahale Chimpanzee Corridors (Tanzania)
Endangered Species Benefiting: Chimpanzees
Fruit trees and timber reconnect the forests that are fragmented within Lake Tanganyika, home to 93% of Tanzania’s threatened Chimpanzees. Through a partnership with villages to promote sustainable agro-forestry, the program created wildlife corridors in Mahale Mountains National Park and the surrounding reserves. Chimpanzee sightings in protected areas were up by 200%, suggesting that ranges are expanding .
14. Southwest Willow Flycatcher Habitat (Arizona, USA)
Endangered Species Benefiting: Southwestern Willow Flycatchers
This bird is found exclusively in the riparian forests of desert rivers. Teams removed invasive tamarisks and planted cottonwoods and willows native to the area all across all of the Verde River watershed. The annual surveys have confirmed 12 flycatcher colonies in the restored zones, which is a substantial increase for a species with less than 1000 breeding pair .
15. Pinaleno Mountains Reforestation (Arizona, USA)
Endangered Species Benefiting: Mount Graham Red Squirrels
After the wildfires almost destroyed the red squirrel’s endangered spruce-fir habitat, a team of volunteers planted 30,000 Engelmann spruce as well as Douglas Fir seedlings. These will be used for future cone crops and a canopy that is protected. Motion-activated cameras capture squirrels catching cones in newly planted areas and the population is stabilizing at around 100 people.
The Science Behind Forests as Biodiversity Engines
Recent research supports reforestation’s incredible potential to help recover species. The 2025 Science study examined the vertebrate diversity of 14,000 species concluding that forest restoration provides *”win-win” results* for biodiversity through expanding habitat while also sequestering carbon. However, converting natural grasslands into bio-energy crops resulted in net loss of habitat. The study found that reforestation benefits 76% of species dependent on forests ranging from jaguars to salamanders with only a few trade-offs .
In addition, “diverse replanting” is superior to mono cultures. Biodiversity-rich forests are better able to withstand disease as well as stress from climate change and help support intricate food webs. Projects that integrate animal seed dispersal like the birds-loving fruit trees of Argentina achieve 4x quicker carbon accumulation over those that are located in areas with diminishing wildlife .
How You Can Support Forest Recovery
Adopt A Tree: Trillion Trees’ Re-Forest Fund plant native species across 19 important landscapes, evaluating the survival rate of each tree (e.g. 93 percent in Kenya)
Select Sustainable Products: Search for FSC-certified lumber and shade-grown coffee that protect habitats
Volunteer Locally: Participate in restoration of habitat days with National Forest Foundation or regional organizations.
Advocate: Support policies similar to those of the U.S. Reforestation Hub, with a goal of 148 million acres for restoration
>> “Restoring lost forest provides habitat as well as reduces the impacts of climate change. Reforestation is an obvious win-win for biodiversity.” – Dr. Evelyn Beaury, New York Botanical Garden
As these projects show, strategically reforestation goes beyond planting trees. It’s regenerating entire ecosystems stitch-by-stitch giving endangered species the chance to live in a constantly changing world.