Walk in the forest in Schwenningen: This is how dangerous the situation is!

Walk in the forest in Schwenningen: This is how dangerous the situation is!

The Schwenninger Forest invites you to an exciting information walk on June 14, 2025, and this is an opportunity that nature and forest lovers should not miss. Led by Roland Brauner, deputy head of the forestry office, and Alexandra Preis, district forester, participants will enjoy an informative tour through the forests around Villingen-Schwenningen. The team is supported by intern Jana Kirchner. The main topics of the walk range from questions surrounding logging to recreational opportunities in the forest and interesting monuments, such as the war memorial.

A highlight of the tour is the Natzental game reserve, which extends over 4.5 hectares and offers a habitat for wild boars and a red deer population of currently 17 animals. To maintain a healthy population, the forester is sometimes forced to regulate through shooting. The forestry authority also cooperates with the Bad Kissingen forestry company to avoid inbreeding among the animals. However, there are also difficulties, as forest rangers increasingly have to reckon with increasing aggression from walkers, especially when it comes to rule violations.

Forest management in climate change

Those responsible in the forest do not only face challenges that affect wildlife. Climate change brings additional problems, including storms and pests such as the dreaded bark beetle. “There’s something going on,” one might almost say, because the choice of tree species is also influenced by increasing temperatures and droughts. As part of the district book for the years 2023 to 2030, development plans and suitable tree species are determined. In order to make forests climate-resilient, we are also looking for so-called “Z-trees” that are particularly resilient.

The importance of sustainable forest management is shown not only by the local timber sales of around one million euros annually, but also by the global challenges of climate protection. In the Katowice Forest Declaration, the international community agreed on the importance of forests and the use of wood for international climate goals. In Germany, sustainably managed forests store approximately 1,169 million tons of carbon and bind 40 million tons of CO2 annually through tree growth. The Paris Climate Agreement aims to achieve climate neutrality, and forests play a central role in this, sequestering over 11% of total EU emissions annually.

Promoting forest management

Another important step in supporting forestry responsibility is the “Climate Adapted Forest Management” funding program. This initiative aims to support forest owners in the sustainable management of climate-resilient forests. So far, the funds for this program have been in high demand, so the funds provided have already been used up. However, the responsible ministries emphasize that climate-resilient forests not only bind CO2, but also provide many other ecosystem services, such as protecting biodiversity and providing raw wood.

The challenges for forest management are diverse. Whether due to climatic influences, conflicts with recreational users or the need for adapted forest management – ​​the forestry authorities are called upon to find answers. The discussion about the future of forests is in full swing and the upcoming walk offers an excellent opportunity to actively participate in this dialogue.

Further information on the subject of forest management and funding opportunities can be found directly on the BMEL websites and under the FNR program.