Planting programs

Five programs. One mission.

Every Green Shield program is designed around a specific ecosystem challenge in Mongolia — from desert sand control to watershed protection and carbon certification.

Active programs

Where your donation goes.

Anti-desertification

Steppe Corridor Reforestation

The flagship program. Native trees and shrubs planted in strategic corridors across the northern steppe to halt desert advance and protect agricultural land from dust storm damage.

Species: Siberian larch, Scots pine, Korean pine
Zone: Khovd, Gobi-Altai aimags
Method: FUG field teams, spring/autumn planting windows
Monitoring: GPS + MRV at Year 1 and Year 3
Desert species

Saxaul Sand Fixation

Saxaul (Haloxylon ammodendron) is uniquely adapted to Mongolia’s arid Gobi conditions. This program focuses on desert-edge zones where conventional trees cannot survive, using saxaul to fix shifting sand dunes.

Species: Saxaul (Haloxylon ammodendron)
Zone: Gobi Desert margins
Benefit: Sand stabilization, dust reduction
Carbon: Eligible for Verra VCS VM0047
Watershed

Riparian Buffer System

Tree plantings along riverbanks and watersheds in Bayan-Ölgii and Khovd aimags. Protects water sources, prevents soil erosion, and improves water retention in critical mountain river systems.

Species: Willow, Siberian elm, Poplar
Zone: Bayan-Ölgii river systems
Benefit: Erosion control, water security
Scope: 100m linear buffer units
Wind protection

Agricultural Shelterbelt

Strategically placed windbreak tree lines protecting agricultural land and communities from trans-boundary dust storms. Each 50m shelterbelt unit is GPS-registered and monitored for effectiveness.

Species: Mixed windbreak species
Zone: Steppe agricultural margins
Benefit: Wind & dust reduction, crop protection
Unit: 50m linear shelter belt
Carbon certification

Verra VCS ARR Program

Long-term carbon sequestration program under Verra VCS VM0047 ARR methodology. Sites reaching full maturity generate verified carbon credits (3.94 tCO₂/ha/yr) eligible for ITMO transfer under UNFCCC Article 6.2.

Standard: Verra VCS VM0047
Rate: 3.94 tCO₂ per ha per year
Period: 40-year certification
Transfer: ITMOs eligible under Article 6.2
Flagship sites

Active planting sites.

Khovd Steppe Corridor

Khovd Aimag · Western Mongolia

Primary flagship site. 452 GPS-registered trees. Mix of Siberian larch and native steppe species along the western desert corridor.

Gobi-Altai Sand Shield

Gobi-Altai Aimag · Southern Mongolia

Saxaul-dominated desert-edge planting. Critical buffer zone between active Gobi Desert and degraded southern steppe.

Bayan-Ölgii River Shield

Bayan-Ölgii Aimag · Western Mongolia

Riparian buffer system protecting three mountain river watersheds. Willow and poplar dominant, preventing seasonal flash-flood erosion.