Ecovie Pilot
Ecovie is CarbonSeed’s flagship pilot, focused on protecting and restoring high-mountain ecosystems where water, carbon, and local livelihoods are tightly linked. It is designed as a blueprint for how nature-based projects in Latin America can be structured with integrity from day one.
Region & ecosystem focus
The pilot is centered on Andean páramos and surrounding landscapes where frailejones play a critical role in capturing moisture, storing water in their tissues and soils, and feeding downstream rivers. These ecosystems are climate-sensitive, highly biodiverse, and essential for water security in nearby cities and agricultural areas.
Many of these areas face pressure from land-use change, informal grazing, and shifting climate patterns. Ecovie focuses on restoring degraded areas, strengthening protection where forests and frailejones are still intact, and aligning incentives so that families and communities can benefit from long-term conservation.
Project goals
- • Protect and restore páramo and frailejones ecosystems that are critical for water regulation and carbon storage.
- • Build a clear, defensible baseline and monitoring approach that can stand up to buyers, auditors, and regulators.
- • Create a commercial structure where local landowners and communities share fairly in the value created.
- • Develop a replicable model that can be extended to other high-value watersheds in the region.
Project phases
Phase 1
Legal, baseline & groundwork
Confirm land status and governance, map the priority ecosystems, and assemble the legal and technical foundations of the project. This includes early community engagement, baseline data gathering, and selection of the most appropriate standard and methodology.
Phase 2
Pilot implementation & proof of concept
Implement targeted restoration and protection activities on a defined pilot area. Test monitoring tools, governance structures, and community benefit mechanisms at a smaller scale, while preparing documentation for validation and verification.
Phase 3
Scale-up & portfolio strategy
Expand from the pilot area to a broader landscape once the model is validated. Structure long-term offtake or portfolio agreements with buyers, while keeping governance, monitoring, and benefit sharing consistent across the expanded area.
Current status
Ecovie is being developed as a live pilot, with legal work, baseline mapping, and community engagement forming the core of Phase 1. As the project advances, this page will be updated with more concrete milestones, partners, and documentation as they become ready to share.