Planting a rain forest takes a lot more than just planning a plantation. Hundreds of different trees are needed to make sure a real rain forest will come up. And only a few species can be planted, many will settle as time goes by or seeds will be brought in with animals.

In summer 2005, the last cattle have left the Finca Volante, and it did not take long for the first shrubs and trees to settle. Of course, only a few plants dominate, there is little variety. For the regeneration of a rain forest that really deserves this title, those first trees are simply inadequate, since they are very short living. You often find them after bushfires or landslides. 

But in the shadow of the initial plants the young trees are protected from drought and too much sun. The shrubs will than be cleared, and the final variety of trees planted underneath. As many species as possible will be raised from seeds found in the neighbourhood. Rare species will be bought from nurseries.