Linear Urban Forests: Reimagining American Streets as Native Forests
In the United States, a bold idea is transforming how cities think of streets. The Linear Urban Forest project, funded by the Harvard Climate Change Solutions Fund (2021–2024) and led by Martha Schwartz, a renowned American landscape architect and environmental champion, reimagines entire roadways as dense, native forests. Afforestt joined as afforestation consultants, conducting field surveys across New England and translating ecological data into street-ready forest creation palettes. This is how roads become forests—and cities breathe again. Together, we are demonstrating how streets can evolve into living forests and future-ready urban infrastructure.
Restoring Sub-Alpine ski slopes of the Lesser Caucasus
In the mountains of Armenia’s Lesser Caucasus, Afforestt has initiated a long-term restoration effort across degraded sub-alpine and ski landscapes. Shaped by historical land use, grazing, forest clearing, and non-native plantations, these slopes now lose water and snow too quickly. Our work begins by reading the mountain — restoring hydrology, rebuilding soil stability, and preparing the ground for native forests to return, offering a scalable model for mountain restoration globally.
Healing Power of Forests
Native forests have an extraordinary ability to heal and protect. They cleanse the air, balance temperature and moisture, and create habitats where life thrives—including human life. At a time when our surroundings face contamination and stress, Afforestt creates practical, implementable projects that bring pristine forests back into human habitats, restoring balance and wellbeing
The Encinos of Mexico: Building a Native Forest in San Miguel de Allende
In 2023, Afforestt travelled to Mexico to work with Grupo Link, a leading architecture, design, and real estate company. The site was San Miguel de Allende, a UNESCO World Heritage city known for its colonial charm, vibrant art, cobblestone streets—and as a place where living is anyone’s dream. Grupo Link envisioned an ultra-modern office and residential space here, enhanced by Mexico’s own natural forests. By focusing on Encinos—Mexico’s hidden Oak treasures—we created a forest plan that celebrates Mexico’s native ecology and sets the stage for restoration in San Miguel.
When Forests Heal, Fauna Returns
This work shows what becomes possible when forests are designed not just for trees, but for life in its full complexity. At Afforestt, we have learned that restoration is measured by return of insects that rebuild soil, birds that reconnect canopies, and animals that restore broken ecological loops. Across deserts and forest corridors, the reappearance of fauna reminds us that co-existence is not accidental, but the result of thoughtful, native-led design. As these landscapes mature, they stand as living proof that forests do more than grow. They heal and come alive again.
Working with Water to Restore Life
Every landscape carries its own rhythm, shaped quietly by water. It moves across slopes, settles into soil, and sustains life in ways that are often invisible but deeply legible to those who observe carefully. At Afforestt, working with water begins by reading these patterns through landform, vegetation, and subtle ecological cues. By understanding how water flows, pauses, and returns, we design interventions that restore balance rather than disrupt it. As natural hydrological cycles are reconnected, soils recover, vegetation strengthens, and entire landscapes regain the capacity to support life once again.
Forests of the Mediterranean: Afforestt in Tunisia
At the meeting point of the Mediterranean Sea and North Africa’s ancient landscapes, this project marks Afforestt’s first step into the Mediterranean forests of Tunisia. Rooted in ecological research and guided by native plant communities, the work brings together science, tradition, and hands-on learning to reintroduce lost forest complexity. By observing remnant ecosystems and translating them into living designs, this forest was created not as an installation, but as a continuation of landscapes that once thrived here. It stands as a beginning, carrying forward a Mediterranean legacy of native forests shaped by resilience, diversity, and time.
Rebuilding Soil to Anchor Forest Life
To create native forests that are dense, diverse, and multi-layered, we begin with the soil. By mimicking the richness of natural forest soils, we enable indigenous keystone species to flourish—ensuring that growth above ground stays in mutual harmony with the life beneath it.
Forestscaping – A Thoughtful Integration of Forests, Art, and Design
Forestscaping is the synergy between forest creation, design, and art. At Afforestt, we believe that to truly reclaim our relationship with forests, we must bring them back into our everyday spaces. Forestscaping fosters deeper, more personal connections with nature. While native forests thrive best without human interference, Forestscaping nurtures a quiet harmony—where people and forests belong to each other. Our Forestscapes are immersive, inviting spaces where you can get wonderfully lost—and in the process, find yourself.
Soil Restoration in the Thar Desert using Millets and Grasses
This project stands as a powerful example of what becomes possible when traditional ecological wisdom meets mindful, modern restoration practices. At Maruvan, we’ve learned that healing landscapes isn’t about imposing change—it’s about observing, understanding, and working with natural processes. The journey has only just begun. As the land continues to recover, this evolving forest will serve as a living reminder that even the harshest terrains can be brought back to life with care, patience, and a long-term commitment to regeneration.