Spring Exccursions 2025 in the Netherlands
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The Pro Silva Netherlands spring excursions will take place in 2025 on 21, 22 and 23 May in the Amerongen forestry (Utrechtse Heuvelrug).
PRO SILVA in the Czech Republic celebrated its 30th anniversary
Members and supporters of the Czech branch of PRO SILVA met on 24-25 April 2025 in Brno to celebrate 30 active years of this important Central European branch of PRO SILVA. The event, in the form of a conference with international participation and a professional excursion to the forests of the Masaryk Forest School Enterprise in Krtiny, was attended by almost 150 foresters, PRO SILVA supporters and guests. Among them were representatives of PRO SILVA from all neighboring countries, Austria, Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. The first day of the conference, chaired by the chairman of PRO SILVA BOHEMICA Tomáš Pospíšil, was on the agenda.
Professional lectures
The two blocks of the conference included a lecture and discussion part. After a personal welcome of the guests by the Minister of Agriculture of the Czech Republic, under whose auspices the conference was held, 5 lectures were followed, interpreted into English. The lectures covered topics closely related to nature-based forest cultivation: 30 years of PRO SILVA BOHEMICA (Tomáš Pospíšil), Work and results of the PRO SILVA movement in Europe (Tomáš Vrška), Cultivation of forests with rich structures (Jirí Remeš, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Science, Czech University of Agriculture in Prague), Use of control methods in forest management (Jirí Zahradnícek) and State law and legislative perspective on the holistic concept of forest care in the Czech Republic (Václav Lidický, Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic).
Panel Discussion
After a break spent in side conversations and refreshments, the panel discussion took place. Its participants were representatives of PRO SILVA from neighboring countries: Eckart Senitza (President of Pro Silva Austria, Vice President of Pro Silva Europa) Maciej Pach (President of Pro Silva Polonia), Michal Tomcík (President of Pro Silva Slovakia), Peter Csépányi, international delegate of Pro Silva Hungaria, Hinrich Joost Baerwald – international delegate (the European representative, ANW), Manfred Schölch (president of ANW Bayern). The discussion enlivened the conference not only with its form but also with its content. The discussion focused on the adaptation of forests to climate change, the efficiency of forest management, the specifics resulting from tradition, legislation, vegetation and habitat conditions of individual countries, as well as the personal feelings and experiences of the discussants. The conference part of the celebration of 30 years of PRO SILVA Bohemica ended with a festive evening opened by a greeting from the Minister of the Environment of the Czech Republic and a friendly informal discussion of the participants.
Field Trip
On April 25, 2025, the meeting moved to the university forests (MENDEL University in Brno) near the city of Krtiny. The topics of the trip were management in mid-level forests "Dauerwald of mid-levels mixed with beech", a forest management plan prepared using the control method, and forest cultivation "Dauerwald of mid-levels mixed with oak". Demonstrations of management focused on the cultivation of mixed forests and the functioning of a forest enterprise that ensures production, demonstration, educational and other functions of forests near the city of Brno in the spirit of PRO SILVA, worthy of concluding a successful celebration not only of the 30th anniversary of the Czech branch of PRO SILVA, but also of the holistic concept of forest management close to nature in the spirit of PRO SILVA.
Text: Jan Kozel, 29.5.2025
Foto gallery: Milan Košulic, Jirí Zahradnícek, Eckart Senitza
The Czech branch of Pro Silva Europa was founded in 1995. It was part of the Czech Forestry Society (CFS). Our goal was also within the CFS to influence forestry thinking and practice towards closer-to- nature-forestry approaches, to uneven-aged forestry especially. However, this was quite difficult among conservative Czech foresters, who mostly promote the even-aged forestry. We had alternating successes and failures. Gradually, we became the strongest and most active branch of the CFS. In the last elections to the board and management of the CFC, our candidates were unsuccessful and the official positions of the CFS also differed more and more from the principles of CTNF forestry that we promoted.
That is why we decided to leave the CFS and registered as an independent non-governmental organization, strong and programmatically fully in line with Pro Silva Europa. The board remains the same, the president for the period 2022-2024 was elected again Milan Hron. Details on our website: www.prosilvabohemica.cz
Tomáš Vrška, 28th January 2022
Foto: workshop of Pro Silva Bohemica on Friday, January 28th, 2022, Brno, CZ.
The deteriorating condition of forests due to drought, bark beetle calamities and overpopulated game was to be resolved through changes in the forest law.
During the discussion of the changes in the autumn of 2019, a dispute arose mainly about the role of the state in the regulation of overpopulated game. The proposal of a part of the deputies of government and opposition parties provided that the hunting authorities would determine the plan of hunting management in hunting grounds instead of their owners and hunters. The reason is the effort to reduce the number of overpopulated ungulates.
The Minister of Agriculture supported this, stating that the changes are based on the previous year's government proposal. For were academics and ecologists. They were annoyed that the deputies did not approve the extension of the deadlines for reforestation (2 years after harvesting) or did not limit the intentional clear-cutting (mostly 1 ha). Overpopulated game is currently the main barrier to the restoration of damaged forests.
The proposal was rejected by the Czech-Moravian Hunting Unit or the Association of Owners of Municipal and Private Forests of the Czech Republic. According to critics of the amendments, including the chairman of the Czech-Moravian Hunting Union, the changes are ill-considered, bureaucratic and limit the rights of hunting owners and hunters.
As a result, this part was adopted with a deferred validity, during which the Ministry of Agriculture drafted a completely new version of the Hunting Act in a record short time, which will be discussed in parliament in autumn 2020.
It was approved that the measures supporting the fight against bark beetles will be able to be newly determined by the Ministry of Agriculture, regional authorities and municipalities with extended powers. The measures take effect immediately. There are also clear rules for financial contributions to non-state forest owners to address the impacts of the bark beetle calamity.
The Ministry can now grant exemptions for the use of seedlings in the event of a lack of suitable growing material. The forest owner will be able to apply for them. The ministry, like regional and municipal authorities, has the option of banning people from entering forests for their safety. The ban can be valid for up to three months and can be extended.
The Chamber of Deputies inserted into the law a ban on the privatization of state forests, except for the exchange of forests or sale in the public interest. MEPs also approved a proposal to limit the removal of logging residues where forests do not have enough nutrients.
Usual production of up to 20 million cubic meters has doubled in recent years and forecasts are getting worse. Almost half of the wood in the raw state was exported for processing abroad. The situation was greatly complicated by quarantine due to covid-19. But the crisis is a great chance for the necessary changes.
45 members of the Czech branch office of Pro Silva Europa - Pro Silva Bohemica visited Switzerland to see the best practice of selection forests. In between August 27th and 31th they went to Couvet and Emmental (Toppwald) on a study trip.
Selection forests and climatic change
The topic of this study trip was a history, a present and a future of selection forests in its real home. Czech foresters who support close to nature forest management based on Pro Silva principals had a chance to see forests stands where Henry Biolley and Walter Ammon worked and their followers continue and face to face the hard influence of climatic change. Selection forests are still alive but climatic, economic and social changes hit hardly this tradition concept of the close to nature forest management.
Conversion to „Dauerwald“
Aplication of selection principles and following of the nature is the only sustainable way for foresters in Grenchen and Selzach too (Swiss Jura). They decided to change their mind and management system 25 year ago to prepare forest for the future. Members of Pro Silva Bohemica saw clearly examples of conversion of clear cutting system to the „Dauerwald“.
The winner will be Oak
Swiss foresters estimate that the winner of the climatic change in Switzerland is going to be Oak. Nature shows the way and foresters have to follow it and accompany the forest softly into the future by application of selection principles.
(Jan Kozel Pro Silva Bohemica, 16.09.2019)
On the 25th and 26th of October our member organisation "Pro Silva Bohemica", supported by the EFI Office Bonn, organised a conference with an excursion on the topic of forest conversion under the aspects of bark beetles and climate change.
The international conference presented examples from the exemplary forestry operation of Constantin Kinsky near Kocanda (Czech Republic). More than 100 participants followed the presentations of the local foresters and the scientific accompaniment by Pavel Bednar and Tomas Vrska. An extensive conference book of the lectures of the first day and of the forest excursion of the second day was presented
The event was supported by the Czech Ministry of Agriculture and high-ranking representatives from there and from the Ministry of Environment participated.
A natural forest reserve was shown and especially the substructure of the spruce stands with beech and fir (mostly in the fence) as well as abundant natural regeneration. Climate change resistant forests are supposed to develop where, as is proven by studies by Tomas Vrska in natural forests, the spread of bark beetles in mixed stands is severely slowed down.
The opportunity for professional exchange with Austrian neighbours is the beginning of closer cooperation. An invitation has been issued to Austria to visit example farms where the transformation has already progressed further.
Go to Website of Radio Prague to read the report.