From pasture land to wilderness – new habitat in Costa Rica’s rainforest

Topics

Story

2026-09-15

Sustainability
Energy transition

What was still monotonous pasture land four years ago is gradually transforming into an evergreen rainforest. The joint reforestation project between the Vaillant Group and BaumInvest in northern Costa Rica demonstrates how consistent, intensive effort bears fruit.

Vaillant Group

Nature is finding its way back

A new day dawns over the Caño Negro plains in northern Costa Rica. The air is humid, and the ten-meter-high treetops are barely discernible through the morning mist. A howler monkey calls out in the distance.

Just a few years ago, silence reigned here. It was barren land, shaped by decades of intensive cattle farming. Since then, nature has reclaimed the area.

Since March 2022, the Vaillant Group and BaumInvest have been implementing an ambitious project. Near-natural rainforests are being established across a certified net reforestation area of 700 hectares in the adjacent regions of Caño Negro and Guatuso. These forests serve not only as natural carbon sinks but also create new habitats for rare and often endangered animal species.

Vaillant Group

Verified and certified CO₂ sequestration

Vaillant Group

The project is part of the Vaillant Group’s climate strategy.

The focus is on reducing CO₂ emissions within its own operations (Scope 1 and 2) in order to meet reduction targets based on the scientifically grounded criteria of the "Science Based Targets" initiative. This means that all company sites have been using electricity from renewable sources since 2020. Vehicle fleets, buildings, and production processes are being progressively electrified, while energy demand is continuously reduced through efficiency improvements.

In addition to local reduction measures, the Vaillant Group supports global climate protection efforts through this reforestation project in Costa Rica.

The project is certified under the internationally recognized Gold Standard for the Global Goals. Over the next 40 years, the trees in the selected areas will sequester more than 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere.

Vaillant Group

Up to ten meters of tree growth in three years

Adverse weather conditions directly impacted the project's progress in 2025. "We faced an exceptionally rainy and stormy year," reports Ann-Kathrin Söllner, who is responsible for coordinating forestry projects at BaumInvest. Nevertheless, all planned maintenance work was successfully completed.

The afforestation concept follows a layered model, combining various tree species: fast-growing pioneer trees provide shade, protecting more sensitive, lower-growing trees and plants. A total of well over two dozen different tree species, including the endangered Almendro tree, ensure natural diversity.

The tree stands have developed positively over the past three years, with growth rates significantly exceeding expected averages. In the Los Patos area, the following individual measurements were recorded in November 2025:

Pioneer trees (such as Gallinasso) are already reaching heights of over ten meters in some cases.
Secondary trees, such as Ceiba, stand at approximately 7.5 meters.
Climax trees, such as Espavel, already measure up to 4.5 meters.

Vaillant Group

I saw the 2022 planting for myself on site in Costa Rica. It is impressive how quickly the saplings grew into trees up to ten meters tall in such a short time.

Claudia Altenrath

Director Group Sustainability at the Vaillant Group

The return of endangered species

Reforesting degraded pastureland allows vital forest ecosystems to regenerate. "Much like a puzzle, BaumInvest makes a significant contribution to connecting forest corridors across the landscape, piece by piece," explains Claudia Altenrath. In this way, we are working together to actively foster biodiversity. Observations of numerous animal species indicate that the newly emerging habitats are already being utilized by a variety of forest dwellers.

"Several rare and endangered animal species have already been spotted. Various visible fungal fruiting bodies are also increasingly appearing around the trees - a sign that the new forest ecosystem is continuing to develop," explains Fabian Schmidt-Pramov. For the local team, these observations are the reward for their tireless efforts.

Vaillant Group

The return of wildlife is one of the clearest signs that reforestation is making a difference. Areas that were once degraded are gradually being transformed into thriving habitats for a growing number of species. The wildlife sightings recorded in 2025 provide compelling evidence that the ecosystem is recovering, step by step.

Mantled howler monkey: A vocal ambassador of the rainforest and a species considered vulnerable to extinction.
Baird’s tapir: A remarkable mammal whose presence is a strong indicator of a healthy and functioning ecosystem.
A growing bird population: Toucans and macaws fill the emerging rainforest with colour and a distinctive natural symphony.
Additional sightings: Sloths, snakes, frogs and other amphibians further highlight the increasing biodiversity across the project area.

Seeing a tapir or hearing the calls of howler monkeys is more than a memorable experience. It is a powerful sign that the reforested and interconnected areas are developing into thriving habitats for wildlife, including endangered species.

Fabian Schmidt-Pramov, BaumInvest

Vaillant Group

The forest and its protectors

Vaillant Group

A rainforest requires protection, especially during its early stages. Rangers play an important role. For each sub-project, a dedicated staff member secures the site, documents animal tracks, and carries out necessary maintenance work, such as trimming surrounding vegetation.

A positive aspect is the team's high level of stability, as Ann-Kathrin Söllner explains: "People who start working with us as rangers tend to stay. They feel very comfortable in their roles and, in turn, share information about the reforestation project with their local communities and villages."

A promise and a commitment for decades

Vaillant Group

With reforestation now complete, the focus shifts to the future: the tree stands must be regularly inspected and maintained, diseased plants replaced, and the forest protected against pests. Forest structures are expected to evolve further in the coming years, creating intact, valuable ecosystems. One factor ultimately spoke for Costa Rica: the reforested areas are permanently protected by law and cannot be logged.

This regulation ensures that the rainforest and its biodiversity are preserved for future generations - and that nature in Caño Negro and Guatuso can put down ever-deeper roots over the years.

Vaillant Group

SEEDS Sustainability Program

The Costa Rica reforestation project is a key part of the Vaillant Group’s SEEDS sustainability program. SEEDS comprises four focus areas: Environment, Employees, Development & Solutions, and Society.

Learn more about SEEDS

What has happened so far

Vaillant Group

2022-05-31
Press release

Vaillant Group launches its first own afforestation project in Costa Rica

The Vaillant Group has launched its first own afforestation project, in northern Costa Rica. The project lays the foundation for capturing the company’s remaining CO₂ emissions with its own forests over the coming decades. As part of its climate strategy, the Vaillant Group will halve the CO₂ emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) generated from its business operations by 2030, while the remaining emissions have been fully offset by certificates from existing afforestation projects since 2020.

Company
Sustainability

Vaillant Group

2023-06-15
Story

Our own afforestation project

The SEEDS sustainability programme is moving forward with great strides: in Costa Rica, the Vaillant Group has begun its first forest project for CO2 compensation.

Sustainability
Company

Vaillant Group

2025-06-12
Story

The green revolution of Caño Negro

Since 2022, the Vaillant Group has been working to transform former pastureland in Costa Rica into species-rich mixed forests. The sustainable reforestation Project is showing impressive results after just two years: In the Caño Negro and Guatuso regions semi-natural rainforests have been created, which not only store CO2 but also create new habitats for rare animal species.

Energy transition
Sustainability

From pasture land to wilderness – new habitat in Costa Rica’s rainforest