Enclaves of life

We met six times and spent six intense weeks together in Poland, Estonia and Czech Republic. Learning about alternative approaches to the forests, finding the specifics and differences of forest types and ecosystems in different countries, understanding forest management options, sharing small forest stories and experiences, talking with experts and forest owners, working on the pilot ´soon to be´ enclaves, admiring what can be done and achieved…

In Estonia we focused on concept of healing forests and its parameters, forests in areas of increased public interest, forest law, management and ecosystem services, trends of future development in forestry from the perspective of small private forest owners and representatives of state forests, peat forests and peat bogs, cultivation, and medicinal use of the Chaga fungus and carbon storage and carbon farming.

In Poland we learned about forest bees rearing, forest management and ways of restoring native forest habitats in areas of different levels of protection, wildlife monitoring, bisons and bats, non-intervention forests, forest herbs and folk medicine, bushcraft or specifics of urban forest management.

In Czech republic the topics were forest management with the specifics of large private owners of monocultured forested mountains, the intertwining of nature conservation and forest management in the legal and historical framework, management of protected and unprotected stands, historical and medieval forest in the context of ecumene, edible forest, modern and traditional links between therapy and the forest (Therapy amongst the trees, Forest mind), forest pedagogy, forest seed bank, bark beetle calamity and its impacts or mass tourism and forestry.

The trip to Estonia was unique. Forest means to people more than just a profit there. They see it as part of their lives, their identity. The local experts have a lot to share, they gave us so much information about the forest, what it means to them, how they take care of it, etc. I think we still have a lot to learn. (Matěj, 18)
I had a good feeling that it was going to be a cool experience with cool people already at the airport – and it became one big cool experience filled with several other cool experiences inside. The most interesting topic for me was how important it is to protect and defend every „hectare“ of forest. It’s something that is starting to be talked about more and more, and it would be nice to spread that message further. My relationship with the forest has very much deepened after this expedition and I intend to continue to educate myself and learn new things about it.
(Joseph, 19)

And we were meeting also on the local level, working, and helping in the pilot forests, bringing together experts and forest owners, learning what is the forest like in different seasons, observing how it is developing and grasping the changes, discussing what can be done and how.

We were spreading the alternative forest philosophy and sharing what we learned and created in various occasions in all partner countries. We organized seminars, conferences, and expert discussions for the public in general or various target groups and we took part in festivals and exhibitions.

For two years we have been going to the forest and thinking about what it can be for us, how to deal with a small piece of forest in our own way, how to have in it what we dream of. How to make the forest a sanctuary, how to have berries in it, how to invite animals in it, how to adapt it for therapy or how to establish it to spread diversity in the surroundings… We met with experts and people who live in the forest. In April, we met in the forest near Dvůr Králové and at the University of Hradec Králové to pass on some important topics to others and inspire them to think, to debate, to change their view of the forest.

Covered themes – Therapy among trees (the concept and benefits of psychotherapy in connection with the forest environment), the history and development of the settlement of the forest landscape and showed medieval concepts of forest management, how climate is changing forests and what can we do about it, important forest tree species with ameliorative and strengthening properties, current agroforestry trends, edible forests and forest gardens and their benefits for us and for nature, historical forest crafts and the possibilities of their application today and the Finnish School Forest Mind. The topic of the panel discussion was ´What we can expect from forests in the future´.

More than different fifteen forests in three different countries. Existing enclaves of life or enclaves of life on the way. Follow the concrete examples and steps, get inspired and create your own forest enclave.