Interview: Forester Josef Eichler

It will continue after 2021. Achtung! has bought another 6 hectares of land and will also plant this previously agricultural area in Schleswig-Holstein. Josef Eichler, forester at Wohllebens Waldakademie, has been supporting and advising us on our Achtung! Forest project from the very beginning.

You have supported this project from the very beginning. What makes it so worth supporting for you?

I find it remarkable and exemplary when companies recognize how important it is to invest in climate protection. At Achtung! I can see that everyone is fully committed to this. Converting conventional farmland into future forests is one of the most sensible environmental protection measures.

How much land would have to be reforested throughout Germany to create a healthy balance?

This is not so easy to answer, as our climatic parameters are constantly changing. It would be desirable if we could achieve the political target of 5% real forest protection. Germany has currently achieved 3%. As politicians have hardly achieved their own targets so far, projects such as Achtung! Forest are all the more important.

Which tree species are particularly important to plant in northern Germany and why?

It is particularly important to rely on native vegetation if you want to create real forests. Many animal, fungal and plant species have adapted to this for thousands of years. Native tree species include beech and oak in particular. At the beginning of forest development, poplars and birches also play a decisive role.