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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOS.1 - Terraformation Letter of Interest and Statement of Qualifications for Terraformation Inc. Interest Category: Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity and Resilience OS. 1 Ecology OS. 3 Forestry (Watershed Management) OS. 9 Soil Conservation 1. Name and Address Registered Business Address: Terraformation Inc. 73-4485 Kahilihili St Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 Mailing address: Terraformation Inc. Attn. (enter name) 74-5577 Palani Road Unit #2869 Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 Hilo Office: 367 Kaiwiki Rd Hilo, HI 96720 2. Age of firm and avg. number of employees Terraformation was founded 5+ years ago - in January of 2020 - and has had an average of 86 employees over the last three years. Terraformation is a Licensed Landscaping Contractor (C-38670). 3. Team and qualifications Our Hawai’i team is composed of many talented individuals who have a wide range of skills. M. Johannes Seidel – Director, Hawaiʻi Forestry Operations - Johannes holds an engineering degree in Landscape Architecture with a minor in Landscape Planning from Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences as well as a Master of Science in Sustainable Resource Management from Technical University Munich. He has previously worked with Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park’s Vegetation Program, as a research assistant as well as an environmental specialist in Bavaria, Germany before moving to Hawaiʻi in 2015. He has been with Terraformation since its inception in 2020 and has over 10 years of experience in landscape planning, restoration and forestry, many of them here in Hawaii. Michael Sthreshley - Manager, Agroforestry - Michael has a Master of Science in Agronomy from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Agroecology and Plant Science from University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo as well as a certificate in Forestry Resource Management & Conservation. His experience as a restoration field technician and restoration manager provides him with a diversity of skill sets useful in forming restoration strategies. His work in agricultural research also influences his approach to problem solving for both field and nursery challenges. Michael leads our Agroforestry team and is involved in project planning and execution. Kimberly De Souza - Manager, Restoration Forestry - Kimberly has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from Chaminade University. She specializes in project management with a focus on organizing the execution and logistics of a project, communicating the goals and timelines of the project to the field team, and providing project updates to stakeholders. Brian Tucker - GIS Specialist and FAA Part 107 Licensed Drone Pilot - Brian has a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Conservation and Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a certificate in Environmental Studies. He started working in Hawaiʻi conservation in 2003 as a field biologist protecting endangered species habitat. Soon thereafter his work focused on GIS and data management to support conservation projects. His skills include capturing and processing high-resolution aerial imagery for mapping and monitoring. He specializes in cartography, GPS data integration, and developing mobile data collection using Esri Field Maps. His work has been recognized by the US Army Garrison with multiple awards. Thomas Bolton - Site Infrastructure Manager - Thomas has a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo with a focus on GIS. He also served as a heavy duty diesel mechanic in the United States Marine Corps. His work covers all facets of restoration operations including nursery build, permit handling, base yard setup, small and large engine repair, and irrigation system design. His management and problem-solving skills are well adapted to working in new terrain. Lehua Todero - Seed Bank Manager - Lehua has a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo as well as a certificate in Environmental Studies. She has experience in native seed collection and handling for restoration projects and extensive knowledge of seed behavior in both wet and dry ecosystems in Hawaiʻi. Her knowledge of species databases and propagation literature is an asset for launching any seed collection initiatives. Becky Hart - Nursery Manager – Becky has a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources and Ecology from the University of Vermont. She has ample knowledge of seed collection and processing in addition to managing two nursery locations on Hawaiʻi island. She is a specialist in the use of Terraware for managing germplasm from initial seed collection through to germination, growth, and deployment into restoration sites. Becky has a strong understanding of nursery processes having worked in four different nursery settings. Nyree Hulme - Project Planner - Nyree has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo with a concentration in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation as well as a minor in Chemistry. She focuses on project planning, in areas of budgeting, mapping, and logistics. For the first three years of her time with Terraformation, she specialized in dryland restoration, managing our North Kohala dryland site. She is also proficient in seed collecting and Terraware. Executive Leadership and International Experts Yishan Wong - Founder and CEO. Yishan is the former CEO of Reddit, a Silicon Valley unicorn startup now worth $10 billion. Prior, he served as Director of Engineering for Facebook, Consultant at Square, and was an early engineer at PayPal. A Hawaiʻi resident, he is responsible as principal leader for strategic development and investment for Hawaii and international programs. Berry Kennedy - VP of Operations. Prior to her work with Terraformation, Berry was General Manager for Uber Eats and VP of Operations and Strategy at Built (worth >$1 billion). She is responsible for the overall day-to-day operations of Terraformation’s global work and the financial health of the organization. Damien Kuhn - VP of Forestry. Damien is former COO of Kinomé with reforestation experience across 545,000 ha of REDD+ and ARR projects in Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, and Togo. He has worked with JP Morgan, the World Bank and several other strategic funders and development agencies. He has also served as a strategic advisor to the government of Ivory Coast and Senegal. He is responsible for overseeing all international forest creation work and strategic partnerships. Dr. Jeffrey Wright - Senior Forester. Dr. Wright has 30 years of forest plantation management experience across 40 countries. He is a thought leader in the tropical reforestation space, with over 70 publications. He holds a DPhil in Tropical Forestry from the University of Oxford. He is supporting international project vetting and is responsible for ensuring that forest creation project development plans are rooted in sound science. Xavier Hatchondo - Head of Carbon Strategy. Prior to joining Terraformation, Xavier was Director of Science and Policy at WeForest. He has audited 30+ carbon projects as Lead Auditor for VCS/CCB/GS projects in Africa, South America and Asia. He is responsible for supporting feasibility study creation for Terraformation’s global biodiverse carbon projects and ensuring that project development plans align with carbon verification standards. Clients Pacific Flight LLC - Christina Cervantes (650) 479-4625 The Peter L Merriman and Vicki P Merriman Trust - Peter Merriman (808) 283-4933 Department of Hawaiian Homelands, Land Development Division, Sara T. Okuda, 808-730-0318 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Grant #82222 - Establishing a Seed Collecting and Banking Program on the Island of Lānaʻi - Jana Doi (415) 243-3102 Lemon Tree LLC - Post fire mitigation - Joshua Hodges (808) 339-8599 Client Performance Period Description of Work Performed Value of Work Performed Pacific Flight LLC February 2025 - March 2028 Terraformation is implementing a native dry forest restoration project that includes 20+ species on approx. 40ac of the leeward Kohala Mountain at low elevation. This project includes the removal of invasive grasses, management and upkeep of a large solar battery powered desalination system used to irrigate plants, landscaping and infrastructure and the planting of over 10,000 native plants. $630,000 (contract) Merrimans (Farm to Table Restaurant Collaborative) May 2023 - May 2028 Merriman's Functional Forest and Canoe Crop Orchard at Halelua is a low elevation restoration project on fallow sugarcane lands. Terraformation is using a hybrid ecosystem approach to include native species as well as Polynesian introduced species to fill certain functional roles. $787,200 (contract) Department of Hawaiian Homelands March 2025 - March 2027 Through this contract, Terraformation is providing brush clearing and maintenance services in the Villages of Lai Opua in Kailua-Kona. This includes fuel management to reduce fire risk around the developments and rare native plant preserves. $476,000 (contract) National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) October 2024 - December 2025 Establishing a Seed Bank and Native Seed Collection Program on Lanai. During the project period, Terraformation is establishing a seed banking system with a unique solar-powered mobile seed-banking unit. The effort includes education and training within the local community. This project lays the foundation for the future restoration of the 20,000ac Kuahiwi a Kai Watershed restoration Program by establishing the seed source need for native plant propagation which will follow in future years. $199,034.20 (grant) Lemon Tree LLC August 2024 - May 2025 Through this contract Terraformation is coordinating post fire remediation work that includes tree trimming and irrigation repair and installation. This project is located in the Lalamilo farm lots in Waimea/Kamuela. $166,000 Solusi Alam Indonesia, Ltd. (SAI) Ir. Fairus Mulia, IPU fairusmulia@gmail.com +62 812 924 6348 2023 - current SAI is a social enterprise based in Indonesia. They have received training and support to develop reforestation and regeneration projects for a social forestry group on the island of Borneo. 424 people living in the community will benefit with an initial restoration project of 4,500 ha (2.8m mtCO2 sequestration) with potential to scale to 70,000 ha. The community is developing social enterprises that support vulnerable mangrove bee regeneration and improved fishing returns. $500,000 (in-kind consulting work including feasibility study development for a restoration/carbon project and 40-hours of live learning on developing investment-ready restoration projects) Humans for Abundance Ecuador Maria José “Chochi” Iturralde chochi@humansforabund ance.com +593 98 447 0084 2022-2023 Humans for Abundance is an Ecuador-based NGO which has worked with Terraformation to save endangered seeds and create a seedbanking network for local rainforest restoration efforts. Maria noted: “Terraformation is amazing at building capacity in complex restoration endeavors. We get the infrastructure and economic resources to sustain long-term transformation, and also such high-quality training and constant guidance that the project has no other alternative but to succeed.” ~$250,000 (in-kind consulting services to advance regional networks) Informational Literature Introduction Terraformation is a US-based forest technology company headquartered on Hawaii Island that aims to be solving the biggest bottlenecks for local communities in tropical forest areas to scaling biodiverse, climate-resilient reforestation. It has built a novel end-to-end stack of tools to support the entire restoration lifecycle, from infrastructure, tracking, training, financing, to planting. To date, it has facilitated 22 projects in 14 countries, creating 4,800 hectares of new forest with 349 different native species, within a potential restoration pool of 3 million hectares. The work has created 717 jobs, more than half of which are for women. Our Terraware forestry software was developed after surveying hundreds of global forest developers. It’s the first software aimed at helping forest creation teams manage their work while providing an investor portal aimed at increased funding transparency for carbon and biodiversity credit investments. We are a thought leaders for conservation and restoration, having published several white papers with leading academic and research institutions (i.e. Imperial College of London, Frontier Economics), and co-founding the Seed to Forest Alliance. The World Economic Forum selected Terraformation as an UpLink “Top Innovator” for its capacity to address the Trillion Trees Goal. The International Finance Forum (G20) granted an Innovation Award for green finance in 2024. Also, we won the RestorLife/G20 Land Alliance’s Responsible Business Award for the project in April 2025 and are finalists for a Keeling Curve Prize, being announced in July 2025 at COP15 Convention on Wetlands. In Hawaiʻi, Terraformation operates its Internal Forestry team implementing projects on the ground that serve as a testing ground for Terraware as well as for novel approaches to reforestation on an island that is home to most ecosystems on earth. Terraformation’s work in Hawaiʻi is taking a place-based approach to restoration and community involvement. Over the past 5 years since our inception, we have placed an emphasis on building relationships and trust as the foundation for successful restoration work. We continuously make our facilities available to community partners at no charge to hold events such as training, workshops (i.e. The Hawaiʻi County Sustainability Summit), or the ʻŌhiʻa Love Fest. Terraformation Hawaiʻi’s main operation is located at the Ridge to Reef Restoration Center (3RC) in Kailua-Kona where we partner with Arizona State University (ASU). The Ridge to Reef Restoration Center (3RC) is a 2024 addition to the ASU Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science (ASU-GDCS), which has reached its sixth year of scientific research and community leadership for ASU in Hawaiʻi since 2019 under the direction of Greg Asner. From 1998 to 2019, GDCS was operated under the Carnegie Institution for Science, also under the directorship of Asner. As a result, this 26-year program has accumulated major physical and data assets as well as deep ties to communities of Hawaiʻi Island. 3RC is home to offices, a conference space, seed bank and plant nursery as well as ASU’s coral nursery, offices and labs. Restoration and Conservation Qualifications Terraformation is currently managing three restoration projects on Hawaiʻi island, mostly in the Kohala region. Each site represents a distinct climactic zone. The oldest of these sites, located just north of Pelekāne Bay at ~300 feet elevation is exceptionally arid. At this 45 acre site we have planted over 6,000 native plants and also demonstrated impacts of invasive grass control on native plant establishment and growth through a controlled trial. Our wetland site is located in Hāmākua district at about 2,700 feet elevation. Thus far we have outplanted over 23,000 plants representing more than 20 species on this 174 acre site. Our most recent project is a 31 acre mesic site in North Kohala at about 200 feet elevation. This project incorporated native as well as polynesian-introduced species into a functional forest that utilizes the large or fast growing traits of the introduced species to help buffer the slower growing native species from the onslaught of the weeds from this former fallow land. Another aim of the inclusion of polynesian-introduced species is as food crops for food security so 10% of the 2,271 plants outplanted thus far are for this purpose. By invitation, team members of Terraformation have also spent time on the ground learning about restoration practices on the island of Kahoʻolawe. Over a 200 year period Kahoʻolawe’s landscape was extensively degraded - first by grazing ungulates, followed by military bombing operations - overall resulting in up to 15 foot losses of sediment. Recent decades of restoration efforts by the KIRK (Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission) brought back numerous native species to the landscape and made significant progress on sedimentation reduction. Further promotional and descriptive literature can be found on the following pages. Project Maps of current projects begin next page ©2023 Terraformation Overview Terraware is a software suite that includes a web app that allows you to manage your projectʼs inventory and a companion Android/iOS mobile app to help you collect data in the field. It replaces the outdated spreadsheets and paper records often still used. Organization management Get your organization up and running fast with project-based account management that includes flexible permission choices and preferences. 1 Manage your seed bank Species management Create and edit a centralized species list through guided input or bulk import. Track species attributes and ensure accuracy with our Global Botanical Index Foundation database integration. Seed collection support Our mobile app lets you capture seed data as you collect. It automates recording of detailed information and pushes data directly into your seed database. Offline mode is supported, and itʼs available on Android and iOS. Seed inventory management Keep track of every seed in your collection with detailed information about where it was collected. Use workflow reminders to optimize your seed bank staff, and track your seeds through every step — from processing to drying and storage. View and export inventory data to show what your team has accomplished. 2 Manage your nursery Seedling inventory management Get an overview of whatʼs growing in your nurseries and track seedling progress by species — with detailed data for each stage of readiness. Nursery optimization Detailed insight into nursery activities helps you manage operations, avoid shortages, and streamline the overall planting process. It also enables loss tracking and analysis, which helps you maximize nursery performance. 3 Track your outplantings Modules & Capabilities Timing and location management Batches of seedlings can be directed to specific areas of planting sites. When seedlings leave the nursery, a detailed record of planting locations is made and validated with photos and monitoring data. All of this information is then easily viewed in your planting site dashboard. When seedlings are grown from seeds also tracked in Terraware, additional detail about the lineage of trees in the sites is available. Terraware enables the efficient creation of a planting baseline for each site, helping streamline monitoring and verification at later stages of growth. Scan for Terraware: Mobile and web apps available Why Terraware? Terraware enables: ●Operational efficiency ●Better collaboration ●Adaptive management In short, it helps you run more efficient, predictable projects! Terraware Terraformationʼs forestry software platform helps you track your seeds, seedlings, and outplantings, enabling you to run your forestry project more efficiently. You can also monitor and report your progress more easily, which is crucial in a projectʼs earliest stages and for tracking carbon sequestration over time. The Local Impact of Seed Banks Our goal is to establish a worldwide network of seed banks, but whatʼs equally important is the profound and lasting impact each seed bank can have on local communities. Ecosystem Services Seed banks and the work they enable can support a broad range of ecosystem services such as increased biodiversity, better soil and air quality, and temperature stability. Sustainable Development Goals SDGs In addition, seed banks contribute to more resilient communities through job creation and economic development, and improvements to health, food security, and education. Our seed bank offering is unique in the market, providing everything needed to support proper collection, processing, storage, and deployment of seeds. A PV solar option enables even more flexibility by delivering off-grid and hybrid power capabilities to support remote projects as required to meet your restoration goals. Why seed banks? To plant a trillion trees, weʼll need at least three trillion seeds, but the world is facing a growing seed supply crisis. Terraformation views this as an urgent bottleneck to restoration, and weʼre taking action help build a global network of seed banks. Learn more www.terraformation.com ©2023 Terraformation Terraformation Containerized Seed Banks Weʼre committed to your success, so when you purchase a Terraformation seed bank, it comes with the tools, expertise, and support to streamline the full workflow, including: Quick-Start Onboarding & Ongoing Support We guide you through the initial setup of your seed bank and onboard local staff. Plus, we provide ongoing support and expert advice in seed banking practices, infrastructure, and Terraware software, to help you get the most from your seed bank. Terraformation Academy Learn restoration seed banking essentials like seed collection in the field, processing, drying, storage, and data management through online courses created by our expert team. DIY Seed Bank Guide Not ready to purchase? Build your own seed bank with the help of our free, comprehensive DIY guide and resources. Store up to 10M seeds for 10 yrs and restore up to 6,000 ha over 10 yrs Solar option for off-grid or hybrid power applications