Protecting natural dynamics and creating old-growth forests of tomorrow. Over the past centuries, Germany’s forests were under immense pressure by industrial forestry, agriculture, and infrastructure development. The original vegetation of beech and mixed-broadleaf forests has been largely replaced by pine and fir monocultures. The consequences of this poor management have become clear under the climate crisis, with extreme weather events leading to the death of thousands of hectares of forest plantations across the country. Today, real old-growth forests are basically non-existent in Germany. As a response to these dire circumstances, WWF Germany has taken 1500 hectares of forest under its wing to protect and develop it in a sustainable manner. This provides significant benefits to the local biodiversity and improves the forests’ resilience to the climate crisis. By this, we hope to give coming generations the privilege of experiencing old-growth forests in Germany and inspire a change in the way forests are managed in the future.

Further information about the project and partner.