Once born as, and formerly known as, Club Kakatua, we now go by The Restoration Club.
Founded in 2020 and operating worldwide, we aim for transparency, efficiency, and tangibility.
Ever since our first day on this planet, we’ve loved birds — lovely creatures that also happen to be perfect indicators of ecological health. When they fall silent — due to being unhealthy, unhappy, or absent — it’s a signal for us to wake up, act accordingly, and get to work. And if we truly want to help our feathered friends (and ourselves), ensuring the planet’s health is the single most important mission we can undertake.
And so, after five years, it was time for a rebrand — a chance to build on a foundation best suited to what we believe we do best: offering efficient and tangible ecosystem restoration for individual donors and companies.
As mentioned, the first five years were a period of experimentation and learning. We’ve gained experience, deepened our expertise, and gradually sharpened our focus.
Today, our purpose is clear: we are in the business of restoring ecosystems. And when we focus on our main projects, these are the results we have achieved so far ⟶
Forestry. We have planted 71,749 trees so far, most of them in Kenya (Mount Kenya). This year, we began planting trees in a new location where we hold high ambitions: Sumberkima. In the first quarter of operations there, we were able to finance 5,745 trees.
Reef Restoration. We have placed 6,997 coral fragments in various locations, most of them in Padang Bai, Indonesia, with the help of our boots- on-the-ground partner, Living Seas.
Soil Restoration. So far, we have financed the restoration of 266,027 square metres. A large part of this work has taken place in Kenya, but we are increasingly active in Brazil, with the help of our boots-on-the-ground partner, Black Jaguar. Restoring the Araguaia Corridor is the primary focus of this project.
Efficiency at headquarters. With the rebranding of our foundation, we have also upgraded our goals. We now set aside 10% of every donation until we can cover our yearly operational costs. After that point, the funds previously reserved for these costs will be channelled directly into our main projects.
This means that the larger we grow, the smaller that percentage will become. Ten per cent is our maximum — and we hope that one day, we can reduce it to just a single per cent.
Refelctions on rebranding. During the rebranding, we didn’t just ask ourselves where we had succeeded. More importantly, we looked at the things that failed to meet expectations. To borrow a minimalist phrase: if you’re short on cash, you can either earn more or spend less. We try to do both.
We continually strive to improve efficiency, ensuring that the maximum possible share of funding goes directly to our main projects.
This graph shows Forestry (in number of trees), Reef restoration (in number of corals placed), Soil restoration (in square meters), and operating costs (in euros per year).
The slowdown observed in 2025 can be attributed to the rebranding process. While the operational side of our foundation continued functioning as usual, the funding side underwent adjustments to support the rebranding.
Soil restoration operations have been relocated from Kenya to Brazil, primarily due to the presence of more reliable field teams and greater opportunities for expansion. This transition has resulted in higher costs per square meter, which partly accounts for the stagnation observed over the past two years. A renewed increase in restoration activity is anticipated in 2026.
Reef restoration has been growing steadily. Due to the complexity of the work involved, operations are more challenging. Since 2025, we have established two reliable locations, and we expect to gain further momentum in the coming years.
The biggest and most important conclusion we reached after reflecting on five years of Club Kakatua was the impact of our work with partners — organisations and companies who asked us to help them do some good.
What sets us apart from others, we like to think, is that not only can individuals make one-off donations or become monthly contributors, but we also take pride in acting as a service foundation for our partners. Many businesses and organisations already operate in areas where their products or services naturally align with a greener future. But some want to go further — to make a difference behind the scenes as well.
That’s where we come in. Whilst they focus on their strengths, we ensure their contributions are put to work as efficiently and tangibly as possible.
Going forward, this will be the main focus of The Restoration Club
Every organisation, foundation, or company needs a story. Why do you do what you do?
The fact that it’s a story doesn’t mean it’s made up — not at all. A story is simply how you explain what you do and why it matters.
For a long time, we didn’t really have that story.
Now we do.
The sound of a healthy ecosystem.
When we see fish returning to our reefs and hear that crackling sound of life, we know we are heading in the right direction. The same goes for on land. When we hear the singing of returning birds and see our forests growing — not only through our efforts but through the ecosystem’s own work — we know we’re onto something.
When nature is healthy, she sings.
We’re talking about crackling reefs, thriving birdlife, and living soil.
Of course, we measure our impact with numbers — but we do prioritise quality over quantity. Planting trees without considering the surrounding ecosystem is meaningless. Rebuilding coral reefs in areas lacking protection from illegal fishing practices, or in places where extreme warming is highly likely, would be a waste of time, money, and energy.
Therefore we work where work is wanted — and where a transition is already underway. Our locations must be protected, both through regulation and cultural stewardship. Because when we plant a strong, native heritage tree, we want it to live longer than we ever will.
Restoration is what we do…
By the end of 2026, we estimate that we will have planted over 100,000 trees, restored more than 300,000 square metres of degraded land, and placed over 10,000 coral fragments.
Our focus will remain on partnerships — helping organisations realise their green goals whilst continuing to do what they do best.
We currently operate in seven locations, and with our planned growth, we expect to expand to four more. We will keep our team small, continue working directly with our boots-on-the-ground partners, and remain as efficient and tangible as possible — both within the organisation and across our project sites.
And it sounds like paradise when it works.
