What happens to your money in the forest? A look behind the scenes at Gut Conow

In our last webinar, CEO Paul and Leo provided unusually deep insights: not into tokenomics or market data, but into the forest itself. What are we doing specifically? Which measures does a greenfee Token fund? And what difference do they make?

Here are the answers — based on our first major project, Gut Conow in northeastern Germany.

Gut Conow: Young forest with great potential – and real risks

Gut Conow is located on the Feldberg Lake District, just north of Berlin. On around 224 hectares, former arable land and meadows were reforested after reunification. That sounds like a success story — and it is, partially. The problem: The trees are young, only around 30 years old, and the timber stock is currently building up. The stand consists mainly of beech, oak, spruce, pine, and larch — often still planted as a monoculture (a forest with only one or few tree species), as was common in 1990s forestry practice. And it is precisely this structure that makes it vulnerable. Drought periods, bark beetles, storm damage: In a forest without species diversity and structural layering, a single stress factor can destroy an entire area. The empty field where Sebastian is standing is a vivid example of this.

What a greenfee Token specifically finances: The five core measures

1. Reforestation with mixed forest after calamities

Where bark beetles or drought have destroyed entire stands, new planting is required — but this time differently. Instead of another monoculture, we rely on a mix of tree species: Douglas fir, pedunculate oak, European beech, wild cherry, and other hardwood species. Consciously chosen because they have different growth curves, tolerate various climate stressors differently — and because high-quality timber for furniture and house construction creates significantly more value in the long term than wood chips. The young plantings are protected with wooden fences (Hordengatter) — timber fences with nails that rust. No dismantling necessary, no metal waste in the forest. Once the trees are large enough to withstand game browsing, the fence collapses and decomposes. Simple. Efficient. Residue-free.

2. Group selection cutting (Femel system): Forest conversion in small steps

One of the most effective yet patient methods. "Femeln" means: individual trees or small groups of trees are harvested to create targeted light gaps. A mixture of new tree species is planted in these gaps immediately. The result over time: a stand mosaic — many small sub-areas of different ages, stocking levels, and structures. A monoculture is successively transformed into a multi-layered, species-rich forest. No clear-cutting, no harsh intervention — but continuous conversion with permanent forest cover.

3. Topping instead of felling: Standing deadwood as a habitat

When trees are harvested during thinning (targeted removal of trees to give remaining ones more space), they could simply be cut down at ground level and transported away. Cheaper, faster. But that is not what we do. Instead, a portion of the trees is topped: the harvester grips the trunk at a certain height and removes only the crown. The trunk remains standing — as standing deadwood. That sounds like a loss, but it is the exact opposite:

• Deadwood is a habitat for beetles, fungi, woodpeckers, and other insects.
• It creates microhabitats — small-scale structures that promote biodiversity.
• The dying tree slowly releases its biomass back into the forest soil instead of being removed from the ecosystem.
• Surrounding trees react to their neighbor: they grow less toward that side, remain freer of branches, and thus produce higher-quality timber.

The catch: This method is more complex and expensive than conventional thinning. That is precisely why financing is needed that goes beyond short-term timber revenues. That is the task of the greenfee Token.

4. Future trees: Promoting the best, not treating all equally

In every stand, there are trees with particularly good genetics: straight-grown, branch-free, vital, with a stable trunk. These are selected and marked as "Z-Bäume" (future trees). During thinning, work is carried out specifically around them: competitors are removed or topped so that the future trees get more light, more space, and higher growth potential. In Gut Conow , this applies not only to oaks — but consciously also to lindens and hornbeams, which were previously planted only as companions to oak but are now promoted as independent future trees. This measure should be repeated every 5 to 10 years. It is not a one-off intervention, but continuous forest care — and thus a long-term investment in timber quality and forest health.

5. Forest edge development: The underestimated shield

Perhaps the most invisible, yet strategically most important intervention. Most young forests have a serious structural problem: they end abruptly. A 90-degree edge between field and high forest — without a transition zone, without a buffer. The result: storms can penetrate unhindered (windthrow is a main cause of forest loss), the forest floor remains cold (making natural regeneration difficult), and there is a lack of habitat for insects and birds that would bring in seeds. The forestry ideal is a four-tiered forest edge: herb layer → shrub belt → forest mantle (larger trees) → high forest. We build this transition step by step — using a method called girdling (ringing): the bark of an individual tree is notched completely around the trunk. The tree dies off slowly but remains standing — as a habitat, shade structure, and biomass source. In parallel, new shrubs and trees are planted in the emerging gap. Girdling means: This tree will be missing from the forest owner's future timber yield. We compensate for this loss of income through project financing. Without external compensation, no forest owner would voluntarily forego income — even knowing it is ecologically right.

What satellite data shows: Progress is measurable

Progress at Gut Conow is not only felt — it is visible. Satellite data on biomass development clearly shows that forest density has increased over the observed years. Bright areas with lower biomass have decreased. The forest is growing — and this is no coincidence, but the result of consistent management. Individual calamity areas (cleared by bark beetles) are still recognizable — but they are contained, not spreading. The goal is dense, full-area stocking that stabilizes continuously and grows in climate resilience. All project data — including satellite imagery and annual progress reports from the forest owner — can be viewed by token holders at any time. Not behind a paywall. Not as a PDF once a year. But as permanent, 24/7 monitoring.

For investors: Why transparency is not a marketing word here

A question from the webinar hits the nail on the head: "How do I know that support actually reaches the forest through such a token?" The answer has multiple layers:

• Blockchain: Every token is assigned to a certified CO₂ certificate. The assignment is immutable and traceable.
• Satellite monitoring: The biomass development of every project is permanently measured — independently of what we report.
• Financial auditing: As a German GmbH, our balance sheets are public and audited annually. At least €12.50 per token flows directly into the forest projects — in the pre-sale, it is 40–45%.
• Forest owner reporting: The images and reports in this article come directly from the forest owner. We compile what actually happens in the forest, not what we wish for.

Outlook: More projects, more land, greater impact

Gut Conow is our first major project — but by no means the last. Currently, just over 10 projects are under contract in Germany, with over 80,000 hectares in the pipeline. The goal is at least one project in every federal state, and several in the larger states. In parallel, initial projects are underway in Croatia through our sister company. The next 18 months will bring the decisive next step: applying for European CRCF approval (Carbon Removal Certification Framework) — the EU framework for CO₂ products. This opens the way to mandatory emissions trading, which is projected to reach a market volume of €1.5 trillion by 2030. Anyone purchasing tokens now is not only funding measures like those in Gut Conow. They are positioning themselves in a market that is at the beginning of its regulation — and investing in the infrastructure that will help shape this market.

Conclusion

What happens to your money in the forest? It finances foresters like Sebastian, who stands in a cleared spruce stand and decides what to plant next. It compensates for lost revenue when a forest owner girdles a tree instead of harvesting it. It makes it possible to top trees instead of felling them — because deadwood has more value than wood chips. Gut Conow is proof that thoughtful forest management works. And that it needs financing that extends beyond the timber market.

Would you like to explore Gut Conow and our other projects yourself? All project data, including satellite monitoring, is freely accessible.

To the Token Sale: greenfeetoken.eco

This article was partially created with the support of Artificial Intelligence.