Forest restoration in practice – lessons learned from 12 demo sites

Gesche Schifferdecker on January 23, 2026

SUBERB demo sites

Restoring forests is as much a social, institutional, and economic endeavor as it is an ecological one. Across regions, landscapes, and governance contexts, restoration initiatives have generated a wealth of experience – what worked, what didn’t, and what must change to achieve lasting impact. This Lessons Learned booklet brings together insights from our 12 large-scale restoration sites, grounded in real-world practice rather than theory alone.

The lessons presented here are not prescriptive recipes. Instead, they highlight recurring patterns, critical success factors, and persistent bottlenecks encountered in forest restoration efforts. Together, they underline a central truth: successful restoration is a long-term process that depends on people, policies, and institutions working in concert with ecological systems.

By distilling these lessons, the booklet aims to support practitioners, decision-makers, and funders in designing restoration efforts that are durable, scalable, and context-sensitive – moving from isolated projects toward sustained landscape transformation.

Key Messages

  1. Forest restoration is a long-term commitment.
    Restoration cannot be achieved through one-off interventions; it requires sustained engagement, adaptive management, and long-term vision.
  2. Disturbance can be a catalyst for change.
    Catastrophic natural events – particularly in single-species monocultures – often expose structural vulnerabilities and can trigger more ambitious and transformative restoration efforts.
  3. Local communities are central to success.
    Communities are not only beneficiaries but essential partners in restoration. Meaningful involvement must begin early and be supported through continuous, trust-building processes.
  4. Finance and institutions matter – but gaps remain.
    Stable public funding and institutional support are fundamental. At present, voluntary private finance mechanisms fall short of delivering the scale and reliability needed for restoration.
  5. Demonstration sites accelerate learning.
    Practical demonstrations provide tested and transferable models, showing how restoration can work across diverse ecological and socio-economic contexts.
  6. Restoration costs are highly variable.
    Costs depend on landscape conditions, the intensity and complexity of measures, spatial fragmentation, and opportunity costs for land users.
  7. Scaling up requires policy alignment.
    Successful upscaling depends on aligning local practices and needs with broader policy frameworks and regulatory environments.
  8. Knowledge infrastructures ensure lasting impact.
    Systems for consolidating and sharing knowledge are essential to move beyond individual projects and to support institutions responsible for national restoration planning.

New SUPERB policy brief: forest restoration as a pillar of Europe’s climate and biodiversity action

Gesche Schifferdecker on December 17, 2025

SUBERB demo areas

Our newly released policy brief brings together scientific knowledge and hands-on experience from our 12 large-scale forest restoration initiatives across Europe, offering timely and practical guidance for policymakers, forest managers, and other key stakeholders.

The brief underlines that restoring forests is not a single action, but a long-term, multi-phase process. Effective restoration typically moves from assessing initial conditions and drivers of degradation, through planning and implementation, to long-term maintenance, monitoring, and evaluation. Success depends on flexibility, adaptive management, and strong engagement with multiple stakeholders, including forest owners, local communities, policymakers, and practitioners.

In the face of climate change, increasing disturbances, and shifting socio-economic demands, our policy brief stresses the need for future-oriented restoration targets. These should focus not only on biodiversity, but also on the ecosystem services forests provide – such as carbon storage, water regulation, and recreation – and the ecological processes that sustain them. Because the benefits of restoration often become visible only after decades, our brief highlights the critical importance of sustained funding for monitoring and adaptive management.

Drawing on insights from our 12 large-scale forest restoration demonstration areas across Europe, our experts identified shared challenges despite the diversity of forest types, ownership structures, and management traditions. Key issues include high ungulate browsing pressure that damages young trees and increases restoration costs, difficulties in engaging private forest owners – who manage around 60% of Europe’s forests – and constraints related to forest reproductive materials, such as shortages of climate-adapted seeds and seedlings.

To address these challenges, the brief puts forward clear and actionable recommendations. These include increasing flexibility in restoration objectives and timelines, adapting hunting and forest reproductive materials legislation, and strengthening monitoring of browsing impacts. Further recommendations suggest improving dialogue among forest managers, hunters, and communities, and supporting nurseries through long-term planning and investment. Our experts also call for contingency planning to cope with natural disturbances and for the strategic use of pioneer and climate-adapted species to build resilient mixed forests.

By translating lessons learned from real-world restoration efforts into policy-relevant recommendations, this policy brief provides a valuable roadmap for scaling up forest restoration across Europe. At a time when resilient forests are more important than ever, it offers concrete guidance to help turn ambitious restoration commitments into lasting outcomes.

Reference: Filipek, S., Jacobs, S., Nabuurs, GJ., Barnkob Lehrmann, M., Bílek, L., Campana, F., Cotten, L., de Dios, J., de Graaf, M., de Guerry, B., Đodan, M., Galić, Z., Gallego, R., García, R., Gómez Fernández, M., Granberg, Å., Hoch, T., Jactel, H., Janzen, L., Lastra González, D., Lindner, M., Locatelli, T., Marušák, R., Mijatović, L., Nicoll, B., Oleagordia, Í., Olsen, H., Orazio, C., Olrik, D. C., Raats, L., Saini, M., Schmidt, C., Svoboda, M., Svensson, J., Tognetti, R., Vacchiano, G., Zorić, M., Zotta, M., Schatzdorfer, E. (2025): Common challenges in implementing forest restoration: Experiences from 12 large-scale demonstration areas across Europe. Policy brief. https://doi.org/10.36333/rs15

“Restoring forests and facts: how Social Media analysis can shape environmental stories

Gesche Schifferdecker on October 14, 2025

Social Media analysis tool

A new article from researchers involved in SUPERB underscores how social media platforms can serve as valuable sources for climate and environmental journalism. Published as the first in a two-part series titled “Climate Reporting: 5 Tips for Sourcing Stories Online,” the piece offers practical guidance for journalists seeking to use digital data to better understand public engagement with nature and restoration initiatives.

The SUPERB project provided the research basis for this work. By analysing online conversations across five digital platforms and twelve European forest sites, including our demonstration sites in Scotland’s Queen Elizabeth Forest Park and Romania’s Făgăraș Mountains, the researchers demonstrated how online engagement can reveal diverse and evolving narratives about forests, biodiversity, and ecological recovery.

The authors Thais Lobo (Kings Colleague London/KCL), Rina Tsubaki (European Forest Institute), Liliana Bounegru, Jonathan Gray (both KCL), and Gabriele Colombo (Politechnical University of Milan) emphasize that social media data, while not neutral, can offer rich leads for environmental storytelling when used critically. Their checklist advises journalists to “mind the platform,” “collect creatively,” and “search smart,” reflecting the varied ways people and communities relate to nature online.

Importantly, the research highlights that looking beyond viral trends can help surface under-represented voices and perspectives, such as local citizens, seasonal workers, and lesser-known species that form part of restoration ecosystems. These insights are vital for projects like SUPERB, which aim to connect ecological restoration with social inclusion and public participation.

As part of SUPERB’s broader mission to enhance Europe’s forest resilience, the study positions digital platforms as powerful tools for transparency, engagement, and evidence-based storytelling – bridging the gap between scientific research, community experience, and public awareness in the climate crisis.

Forest Modelling: Exploring the Future of Scottish Forests under Diverse Restoration Actions 

Louisa Louisa Bouri-Saouter on July 23, 2025

Forest Modelling: Exploring the Future of Scottish Forests under Diverse Restoration Actions

Restoration Story by Louisa Bouri-Saouter

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to look into the future? With climate change on the horizon, many hope to understand what we are walking into. So, what if we could get a glimpse of tomorrow’s forests? What if we could see what this vital ecosystem is becoming or could become? When it comes to Scottish forests, that’s exactly what six researchers have explored*. 

By using forest resource modelling, researchers have projected what would happen to forests in Scotland when different forest restoration activities are applied. In total, 1,411,958 hectares of forests were simulated, within which the forest restoration activities were carried out on 33% of this total area (approximately 463,536 hectares). Forest development under a « Business-As-Usual » scenario and two different restoration scenarios were projected over the next 30 years, until 2055. 

Map of initialized NFI plots in Scotland, in total 15 523 plots. Colour of the bar represents the initial dominant species or species group per plot, and height of the bar shows the initial growing stock volume.

Here’s what the projections reveal about these two restoration scenarios: 

Following current Scottish Government regulations on sanitation felling in larch forests infested with pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, the first scenario focused on the implication of Larch removal on 65,007 hectares (5% of Scotland’s forest area). This large-scale sanitation felling, including the removal of larch trees near infested areas to prevent the spread of pathogen, was followed by the replanting of a mix of future-suitable species such as Sitka spruce, birch, and rowan.

Projection results show a clear increase in harvested volumes during the first five years as a direct result of the larch removal. However, this short-term rise gradually declines and stabilizes over time, aligning with the harvested volumes observed in Business-As-Usual scenario. Replanting with a diverse mix of future-suitable species also supports faster forest recovery and has a positive long-term effect on soil carbon stocks.

Since the primary constraint to the management of productive forests in Scotland is the risk of wing damage, the second scenario meant to support the conversion of 28% of Sitka spruce forests located in high-risk wind areas to coniferous continuous cover forest (CCF), creating more complex and diverse forest structures. Despite an overall decline in growing stock and harvested volumes, forest structure began to shift: after 30 years, more medium- to large-sized Sitka spruce trees (20–50 cm in diameter) were present.

This structural diversification is expected to result in higher growing stock volumes and greater structural diversity in Sitka spruce forest stands in wind-prone areas, potentially contributing to improved resilience over the next three decades. 

Growing stock (m3/ha) development per species over diameter classes (cm) from 2025 till 2055 for the three different scenarios.

Today, monocultures of Sitka spruce cover 45% of Scottish forests. But recent shifts in UK forest policies are set to transform this landscape, reducing these vast monocultures to create room for more structurally diverse forests. These changes hold great promise for improving biodiversity, flood mitigation, and the recreational value of these forests. 

These scenarios, brought to life through advanced forest resource modelling, give us the chance to better understand the trajectories and consequences of applied restoration measures. A glimpse into tomorrow’s forests that could significantly change their course. 

*Projections of Scottish forest restoration activities are part of SUPERB project’s deliverable D6.5 on the projected ecosystem data and were carried out by Sara Filipek, Silke Jacobs, Tom Locatelli, Bruce Nicoll, Daniele Ferraretto and Gert-Jan Nabuurs.

How Europe’s restoration projects are shaping national plans

Daria Kononenko on May 8, 2025

Across Europe, there are 71 restoration sites — from Ireland’s peatlands to Romania’s forests. Since 2021, SUPERB and its sister projects MERLIN, REST-COAST and WaterLANDS have been working on the ground to restore forests, wetlands, rivers, and coasts, all funded under the Green Deal. 

Now the projects’ findings are helping countries draft National Restoration Plans (NRPs) — a key requirement under the EU’s new Nature Restoration Regulation. 

To support this process, over 100 experts — scientists, policymakers, and local stakeholders — met at the European Commission on 10 March 2025. The meeting focused on what has worked in practice, where challenges remain, and how field-based experience can help Member States design effective NRPs. 

The report Supporting the Development of National Restoration Plans brings together what’s been learned so far — practical tools, examples, and ideas that can help shape national restoration plans, including from SUPERB’s side: 

  • A soon-to-launch Forest Knowledge Gateway with guides on tree selection, funding, and more. 
  • Case studies from SUPERB’s 12 demonstration sites. 
  • Policy maps showing where national laws align or clash with restoration goals. 

With draft NRPs due by September 2026, SUPERB’s work aims at helping national partners to implement these tools — from policy alignment frameworks to site-specific restoration strategies tested across its demonstration area network. 

Read on the full report here

Photo: Anat art / Adobe Stock

Forest Quest: A New Adventure at Queen Elizabeth Forest Park to Connect People with Nature

Shan Gao on May 5, 2025

Together with the FORWARDS project, Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), Forest Research and BOKU University, SUPERB is proudly launching the Forest Quest, a self-guided trail at our demo site in Queen Elizabeth Forest Park (QEFP). The Forest Quest will invite forest visitors to connect with the natural environment while learning about the forest, how it is changing under climate change, and what approaches our local partners take to manage it in a biodiversity-friendly and climate-smart way. Through a series of tasks outlined on boards in the forest and through an app, the Quest will help the visitors engage with the forest at their own pace, taking the time to explore and observe along dedicated trails. After completing the quest, participants will receive a “Quest badge” and can enter a draw for a chance to win a prize of a zipline ticket.

This initiative is the result of a collaborative effort between SUPERB and FORWARDS, two EU-funded projects that address the impacts of climate change on forests and forest landscapes.

The Forest Quest will be open for participation until 31st August 2025. 

To find out more about FORWARDS, please visit this website: https://forwards-project.eu/

A networked forest park: Exploring online engagement with Queen Elizabeth Forest Park in Scotland

Shan Gao on April 15, 2025

Restoration Story by Liliana Bounegru, Jonathan Gray and Rina Tsubaki

What can the Internet and social media tell us about the life of a forest park?

As part of our SUPERB project, we have been studying online engagement to understand more about the social and cultural contexts of forests and forest restoration efforts across Europe. 

This includes looking at how the Internet and social media are involved in different ways of relating to the site known as Queen Elizabeth Forest Park (QEFP) in Scotland.

Forest names

QEFP is known by many names. To understand how these names are used online, we looked at how search results for place names associated with QEFP suggest other place names.

Just as a snowball gathers snow when rolling down a hill, through an approach known as “query snowballing” we gathered 195 names from following the recommendations of search results pages. When searching for each of these names you can find different kinds of pages, pictures and media. Each of these names and associated search results reflect different ways of articulating relations with this place.

195 forest names: Snowballing place names with Google Related Searches

Forest relations

The web pages of search results show how people relate to the park in different ways, including as hikers, cyclists, canoeists, campers, drivers, fishers, photographers, horse riders, bird watchers, dog walkers, foragers, swimmers, artists, tourism workers, hotel owners and local history enthusiasts. 

We find pages of reviews, ratings, recommendations, discussions of climate change policy, weather reports, lists of park creatures, and blog posts on foraging to make nettle soup.

To explore how the web invites different kinds of relations with this site, we made a speculative account of forest park life composed of texts from search results.

A network graph of search results showing web pages (green nodes)
and the themes associated with them (red nodes).

Forest infrastructures

Image search results also show different ways of relating to the forest park. As well as beautiful landscapes and touristic snaps, they also show things which are involved in inviting relations with forests – such as signs for navigating, bridges for walking, rental homes for staying, guide books for learning, and watermarked pictures for selling.

A selection of Google Search image results grouped according
to how they invite relations with the forest park.

Forest news

Looking at online news search shows headlines associated with the forest park. As well as articles about tourism and recreation, there are stories about rewilding and reintroducing animals such as lynxes, and the consequences this might have for sheep farming.

A selection of news headlines grouped according
to how they invite relations with the forest park.

Forest videos

There are also many videos in search results. Looking at some of the most engaged with videos associated with the forest park, we find vlogs (video logs), listings, landscape footage and forest park drive through videos.

A selection of engagement formats in YouTube videos.

Forest posts

Social media posts show different ways in which the park is engaged with. In some of the most engaged with Facebook posts we encounter the forest park as a site of archaeology (e.g. distillery ruins), recreation (e.g. wellbeing retreats with forest bathing) and decarbonisation (e.g. through government investments).

Other posts discuss beavers as agents of forest biodiversity restoration, wildlife corridors to support ecosystem restoration, peatlands for climate resilience and tree mythology.

Alluvial diagram showing associations between
themes and actors in most engaged with Facebook posts.

Forest hashtags

Social media posts mentioning the park also contain hashtags which tell us how people relate to it. For example, on Twitter/X we found recreation (e.g. #birdwatching, #cycling, #wildswimming, #painting), campaigning (e.g. #savelochlomond) and media engagement (e.g. #bbcwildlifepotd). 

Beyond the most popular, we found hashtags about climate change (#cop27, #climateemergency), health (#naturetherapy, #ournaturalhealthservice) and accessibility (#wheelchair).

A selection of popular hashtags grouped by theme.

Forest sounds

There are also many sounds on posts, pages and videos associated with the forest park. As part of the forestscapes project we have been creating soundscapes from these different kinds of online sounds – from birdsong, wind and waterfalls, to cycling, songs and stories.

A selection of videos with sounds of creatures, elements, voices and movement in the park.

Forest futures

What can we learn from these kinds of online materials? In a world in which many forests are increasingly networked and digitalised, we can learn about them not only by following paths and counting plants, but also by following links and counting posts.

Online materials show how forests are digitally mediated and how they come to matter in different ways. We can see how across online spaces some ways of mattering become more visible, while others are less visible, or missing.

As well as studying its plants and creatures, we can also pay attention to other kinds of cultures and relations, issues and infrastructures, economies and experiences that make up the park.

Taking these into account can offer valuable insights to support ecosystem restoration plans. They can also help us to reconsider what more inclusive, equitable and sustainable forest futures could look like.

Find out more

This post draws on collaborative research undertaken by Jonathan W. Y. Gray, Liliana Bounegru, Rina Tsubaki and Gabriele Colombo as part of our SUPERB project.

10 Things We Can All Learn from the Evolution of Forest Restoration Initiatives in Europe 

Shan Gao on December 19, 2024

By Maitane Erdozain Ibarra, CTFC & Rina Tsubaki, EFI.

Forest restoration is far more than a modern buzzword—its history runs deeper than most realize. Yet, despite decades of effort, the lack of proper documentation of successes and failures has prevented us from truly learning from the past.  

Today, the global push for forest restoration is stronger than at any point in history. Initiatives like the European Nature Restoration Law are sparking hope and action. Now, more than ever, we need to look back and reflect on how forest restoration efforts have evolved, what sparked change, and what lessons past and present initiatives can offer. That will empower us to make forest restoration efforts more effective, impactful, and grounded — both now and in the future. 

A Europe-wide Study to Explore Trends, Patterns and Drivers of Forest Restoration 

Led by Maitane Erdozain and Sergio de Miguel from the Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC) and the University of Lleida (UDL), we published a study that examined narratives from 32 forest restoration experts in 18 European countries to uncover the history of forest restoration in Europe. The study asked experts to delve into six key areas—social, economic, political, technical, environmental and legal— to understand different drivers that shaped forest restoration across Europe. 

The analysis revealed fascinating trends and patterns. Early restoration efforts in central and southern Europe often arose in response to crises like natural disasters and timber shortages. While these initiatives were effective for erosion control and timber production, they often relied on monocultures and short rotations, limiting ecological benefits. The geopolitical upheavals of the 20th century pushed timber production to the forefront, with centralized management that usually favored productivity over biodiversity. Since the 1990s, however, we have started to see a shift: restoration now strives to balance environmental, social, and economic goals, driven by a growing appreciation for the multifunctionality of forests. 

Lessons from Successes and Failures in the Past and Present 

So, what are the drivers that shaped the development of forest restoration in Europe that we can learn from both the past and present?  

Here are 10 lessons we learned: 

  1. Natural disasters as catalysts: Major natural disturbances (floods, shifting sands etc.) triggered early restoration efforts in many countries. Over the past decades, environmental crises (climatic, biodiversity, water etc.) have also influenced the type of restoration that is conducted. 
  1. Geopolitical turmoil forces change: Wars greatly contributed to forest degradation through direct destruction and overexploitation, but they also prompted large-scale afforestation campaigns to address timber shortages. These initiatives shaped today’s forests, showing how crises can simultaneously hinder and drive restoration progress. 
  1. Forest ownership and governance: Centralized forest governance often enabled large-scale restoration success, while fragmented ownership often slowed down restoration progress. Innovative governance mechanisms are needed to address the issue of fragmentation, where many small landowners hold land rights.
  1. Funding mechanisms: Lack of funding has been a longstanding obstacle, but there are examples of strong and stable funding mechanisms throughout history.  Although EU funding has been instrumental in shifting the types of restoration implemented, there is an urgent need for innovative funding sources (e.g., private) and mechanisms that are long-term and resilient to political and market fluctuations. 
  1. Market fluctuations: Shifts in demand for products like timber and fuelwood significantly shaped restoration strategies. Future efforts should integrate marketable benefits from different ecosystem services to sustain landowner engagement and secure lasting outcomes. 
  1. The role of sociodemographics and social values: Rural abandonment tends to reduce land-use conflicts but can lead to new challenges like unmanaged forests. Increasing environmental awareness and recreational demands from society have diversified restoration objectives. These findings underscore the need for active rural engagement and public education to balance priorities. 
  1. Policies as guiding forces: Strict yet balanced national policies that integrate ecological protection with socioeconomic benefits, alongside ambitious international policies and the creation of institutions specialized in restoration, have been pivotal in driving progress and inspiring coordinated restoration strategies. 
  1. Converging drivers accelerate change: Restoration succeeds when environmental, social, economic and political factors align. Historical examples show that isolated drivers rarely catalyze change; a multidimensional approach is essential to create transformative impacts. 
  1. Conflicts hinder progress: Competing objectives, such as agriculture versus forest land uses, or timber production versus conservation, remain major obstacles. Addressing conflicts—both among stakeholders and policies—requires a holistic landscape approach that simultaneously addresses many challenges that society faces. 
  1. Short-term fixes, long-term risks: Lastly, the historical accounts demonstrate that restoration efforts with a short-term vision often create future vulnerabilities. Long-term thinking that acknowledges the interconnectedness of our systems is crucial for successful forest restoration that benefits ecosystems and communities.  
Infographic by Shanqing Gao, EFI

Embracing the Past and Building a Better Future

From this study, we learned the importance of blending historical insights with contemporary strategies to guide more sustainable and impactful forest restoration. By learning from past successes and failures, policymakers and practitioners can avoid repeating mistakes and leverage effective solutions. We hope the lessons uncovered in this research will be crucial for implementing the new Nature Restoration Law to ensure its ambitions are translated into large-scale, real-world impact across Europe. 

Reference: Erdozain, M., Alberdi, I., Aszalos, R. et al. The Evolution of Forest Restoration in Europe: A Synthesis for a Step Forward Based on National Expert Knowledge. Curr. For. Rep. 11, 4 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/40725-024-00235-3

Read the full study here.

Investigating European forests’ vulnerability to climate change

superbadmin on February 22, 2023

New FORWARDS project will work with SUPERB to deliver science-based knowledge to guide management using the principles of climate-smart forestry, ecosystem restoration, and biodiversity conservation.

With a total budget of €14m funded by the European Commission’s HorizonEurope (plus additional funding by Switzerland and the UK) and more than 19 partners involved, the FORWARDS project (ForestWard Observatory to Secure Resilience of European Forests) will provide timely and detailed information on European forests’ vulnerability to climate change. With its activities, FORWARDS aims at supporting European forests and society to transform, adapt, and mitigate climate-induced changes.

Read More

Updates from our demo Queen Elizabeth Forest Park

superbadmin on January 9, 2023

During a trip to Scotland in September, our colleagues from Wageningen Research made a field visit to the restoration sites in Queen Elizabeth Forest Park (QEFP) guided by demo leader Bruce Nicoll. Within the Scottish demo, one of the measures is to transform monocultures of Sitka spruce to continuous cover forestry (CCF), besides diversifying forest’s age structure and species composition. The second restoration activity will be along the river, restoring the riparian woodlands and implementing Natural Flood Management techniques (e.g., leaky dams, timber bunds) aimed at reducing flood peaks. The third restoration activity is high elevation planting. The field visit was a great way of getting to know the Scottish situation. The next day the group was welcomed at the office of Forest Research, where they also met Tom Locatelli. During the day they discussed the SUPERB activities ahead and among them was the workplan which is now finalized.  

Sitka spruce

At the beginning of November, the Scottish demo held its stakeholder workshop. Planned restoration activities were discussed in the field during an extended visit to representative sites within QEFP. The workshop was a very enjoyable experience for the Forest Research (FR) and Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) SUPERB teams, as well as for the participants, who asked very many questions and engaged in discussions about SUPERB, QEFP, and upscaling forest restoration in Scotland and the UK. Given the dense content and structure of the workshop, and the multiple requirements from various WPs, the changes to allow extended forest visits introduced some logistic challenges that required careful planning and timing of the numerous workshop activities. Thanks to the positive and engaging spirit of QEFP’s stakeholders, all the project requirements for the workshop were achieved very satisfactorily. The FR and FLS team are looking forward to welcoming their participants back to QEFP for a full-day visit to forest restoration sites in QEFP during the summer of 2023, and to expanding their stakeholder network and activities during 2023.