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

From Nature Restoration to National Restoration Plans

Shan Gao on November 14, 2025

On 4 November, SUPERB collaborated with the European Forest Institute’s ThinkForest webinar for an in-depth look at nature restoration with a focus on forests, asking what support the latest science can offer.

Elisabeth Schatzdorfer, Principal Scientist at EFI presented some of the lessons learned from SUPERB, building on its multidisciplinary scientific and practical findings, including those from 12 large-scale demonstration sites across Europe. 

There are many objectives for forest restoration – including restoring or improving biodiversity, resilience, forest products and services. Research shows a majority of the European public supports forest restoration; however, it is important to note that restoration can’t fulfil every objective at the same time. There are always trade-offs and space must be left for compromises.

Guided by the idea of transformative change rather than disruption and immediate change, SUPERB used a toolbox of restoration measures in its diverse demo areas in cooperation with stakeholders to test and showcase how restoration can be done to the benefit of nature and people. To be effective and sustainable, measures need to be adapted to the local context and synergies and trade-offs need to also be considered. Elisabeth emphasised that there is no silver bullet for optimising restoration – we need to be careful with the idea that if we restore biodiversity all other problems are automatically solved too. In addition, there is not a universally agreed endpoint for restoration – we need to take a holistic, forward-looking and adaptive approach, fully involving stakeholders.

A thoughtful panel discussion highlighted some of the challenges and opportunities for integrating the latest science into the design of National Restoration Plans (NRPs). These must be submitted by each EU Member State by 1 September 2026, under the EU Nature Restoration Regulation. 

Łukasz Rejt from the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment emphasised the importance of transmitting scientific knowledge from projects to policymakers and government experts. The project findings and proposed measures should be understandable for policymakers and accessible in local languages, to enable the knowledge to make its way into the NRP.  

Jenni Roche from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Ireland, pointed out that this communication should be two-way. Individual Member States have their own very specific needs and diverse contexts – so it is important for researchers and projects to be clear about the applicability of their findings. 

Florian Claeys from DG Environment also highlighted that there is not a single blueprint for restoration – it is dynamic, evolving continuously through experience. The latest science should be at the core of this evolution. Research would also be extremely important on monitoring methods. 

The panel also focused on engagement, and the participation of local communities in the process, which was seen as one of the keys to success. 

Katarina Tumpa from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Croatia highlighted the need for education – to encourage people from all areas of the country (not just big cities) to participate, and to help them develop an understanding of the trade-offs. Education can help to show that different local communities can see the forest from very different points of view, and encourage people to accept different perspectives. The panel also highlighted the importance of engaging widely, for example via online questionnaires, conferences and public hearings. 

Summing up, the panel recommended:

  • Knowledge and dialogue, to bring the best solutions 
  • Thinking big – aiming for large scale and looking for multiple benefits across measures and policies
  • When working on national restoration plans also thinking regionally – your forest is your neighbour’s forest
  • Not being afraid of the Nature Restoration Regulation – it provides a chance to reinvent our relationship with nature

This news item was originally published here.

Crowdfunding Campaign: Seeding Eternal Forest in Faia Brava – first of 1,000 forest sanctuaries – connecting art, community, and forest

Rahel Könen on September 10, 2025

For the first time, Eternal Forest and Faia Brava join efforts to create a sanctuary where contemporary art meets nature conservation — in Portugal’s first private protected area, which in 2025 celebrates its 25th anniversary.

This event will bring together thinkers, decision-makers, and key actors in the fields of art and ecosystem regeneration.

Through a crowdfunding campaign, they invite you to take part and support this first phase of the project.

On November 7–8, 2025, the initiative will take the first steps to seed a forest that is not only regenerative and biodiverse but also a living work of art. Created through the partnership of Eternal Forest, a global art and ecology initiative founded in Portugal, and Faia Brava – Associação de Conservação da Natureza, a protected reserve stewarded for 25 years, this will be a forest like no other.

You are warmly invited to join Eternal Forest in person on the days of November 2025 at Faia Brava for this unforgettable gathering. Come plant the first trees through a regenerative artistic design, meet the artists, scientists, and guardians, and take part in an experience of art and poetry, along with a symposium on art, forest, and community in collaboration with the Côa Park Foundation — an event open to all who wish to participate, support, or witness this historic moment.

🌿 This is just the beginning: first chapter of a long-term vision, first forest sanctuary out of 1,000!

The planting in November is not a one-off event — it’s the first chapter of a multi-generational project that will unfold over the years. Eternal Forest Faia Brava will grow slowly and meaningfully, rooted in care, co-creation, and ecological knowledge.

This crowdfunding campaign will provide them with the resources to not only deliver the first phase and the event in November, but also to develop vital research and collaborative designs that can be replicated to grow Eternal Forests all over Portugal. 

By contributing to this campaign, you are planting the first seeds of a sanctuary that will continue to grow over generations, ecologically, artistically, and communally. 

🌿 What this campaign supports

With your help, the initiative hopes to raise €22,000 to fund the Seed of Eternal Forest Faia Brava, the Phase 1 of the project, including:

  • Organise an artistic residency and a technical visit at Faia Brava to do on-site research and ecological listening to select the most meaningful planting location, while connecting to local community, initiatives and planning the project
  • Create a collaborative design of the forest sanctuary: artist Evgenia Emets and regenerative designer Maurício Umann of Fractal Regenerative Technologies, together with biodiversity specialists and plant experts, focusing on creating habitats
  • Prepare the site and plant the first trees in November, including transport, logistics, plants, materials and equipment
  • Organise the Seeding Eternal Forest in Faia Brava Symposium in collaboration with Côa Museum
  • Community gathering and village celebration
  • Filming of the process of creating the Eternal Forest Sanctuary + short trailer
  • A digital and physical publication about the process of creating Eternal Forest Sanctuary

🌿 Why Eternal Forest is creating this project

This Eternal Forest is an invitation to long-term thinking. They are creating a habitat for the future old-growth forest, not a plantation. A seed of Eternal Forest – native species will be planted in an artistic design — guided by biodiversity, artistic vision, regenerative design and a deep respect for place.

The forest will grow alongside artistic residencies, education, and community participation, becoming a space of beauty, resilience, and cultural continuity.

The site sits in the Côa Valley, home to some of Europe’s most extraordinary prehistoric engravings and paintings — a region where nature and culture have always been entwined. 

CURIOUS TO LEARN MORE? https://seed.eternalforest.earth/event-en

Eternal Forest began in Portugal in 2018 and has since grown into an international network of artists, ecologists, and communities. Our vision is to create 1,000 forest sanctuaries protected for 1,000 years – and Faia Brava will be the very first.  https://www.eternalforest.earth/ 

Faia Brava is Portugal’s first classified Private Protected Area, part of the Natura 2000 network, IBA and Côa Archaeological Park (UNESCO). Spanning 1,000 ha of sustainably managed natural landscapes, it features stunning landscape of Côa River with wild cliffs, native forest of cork oaks, holm oaks. It provides critical habitat for griffon and Egyptian vultures, golden and Bonelli’s eagles, and black storks. Emblematic species like wildcats, otters, roe deer, and wild boar help sustain the ecosystem and naturally reduce wildfire risk. 

Image credits: Marco Piano, Eternal Forest

Webinar: Showcasing Community Champions in Restoration-Related Income Generation

Daria Kononenko on September 1, 2025

European Forest Institute, as a member of the UN Decade Task Force on Best Practices, is part of an upcoming global webinar organised under Initiative 3 of the Task Force.

The event will focus on how communities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America are leading and managing restoration-related income-generating activities while linking ecosystem restoration with sustainable livelihoods. Community Champions recognised under the UN Decade’s Capacity, Knowledge and Learning Action Plan (CKLAP) will present their experiences with women-led enterprises, seed networks, agroforestry, and beekeeping.

The programme will cover practical challenges, successful approaches, and lessons that can inform restoration efforts in other regions. This webinar also marks the launch of a new series of international knowledge exchanges to support community-driven restoration.

Date: 18 September 2025
Time: 14:00 – 15:30 CET
Languages: Interpretation available in Portuguese and French

For full details, visit the event webpage. Register for the webinar here.

Forest owner of SUPERB demo site wins German Forest Award 2025 

Daria Kononenko on July 15, 2025

Torsten Dörmbach, a forest owner and practitioner in the Wipperfürth demo area of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), has been awarded the German Forest Award 2025 in the category forest owner. 

After bark beetles and drought wiped out his spruce stands in 2018, Dörmbach didn’t just replant. He used the setback to transform 45 hectares of family-owned forest into a resilient mixed woodland. Nearly 60,000 young trees from 39 different species now grow on his land – part of a long-term effort to build climate-adapted, biodiverse forests. 

In line with SUPERB’s mission, his approach combines ecological insight with hands-on action:

– Relying on natural regeneration, where young oaks now thrive without planting 
– Allowing dead trees to stand as hunting perches for birds of prey and shelter for wildlife 
– Managing game populations to give new trees a chance to grow 
– Recognizing the value of species like rowan, once removed as weeds, as part of a more diverse and resilient forest – reflecting a shift in forestry knowledge and practice. 

While it may take decades before the forest becomes economically viable again, Dörmbach is thinking ahead – not only for his family, but for the entire Bergisches Land region. If restoration efforts succeed, he says, the forest will once again provide essential ecosystem services like clean water, air filtration, erosion control and climate change buffering. 

Find the original article here (in German) 

Photo: WDR 

Webinar: Public perceptions of forest restoration

superbadmin on April 25, 2025

Public perception of forest restoration

What are the societal demands for forest restoration in Europe? How can restoration initiatives across countries and regions meet the public expectations?  

In SUPERB’s upcoming Forest Restoration Talk, researcher Moses Kazungu (WSL) will present his findings on how societal stakeholders  understand restoration strategies and their willingness to support them. 

He will also introduce a ready-to-use toolkit designed to help stakeholders develop effective and socially supported restoration actions. It includes practical results, case-study findings and a step-by-step methodological guidance. 

Public perception of forests and their benefits is key to inspiring future forest restoration strategies and communication efforts. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore what lies ahead for forest restoration actions and join us for the webinar! 

Date and time: 14 May 2025, 4:00 PM CET

Platform: Zoom, register here

Speaker: Moses Kazungu, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) on Forest ecosystems and Sustainable landscapes 

Supporting National Restoration Plan Development

Rina Tsubaki on March 24, 2025

SUPERB Coordinator Elisabeth Schatzdorfer presenting

Restoration Story by Rina Tsubaki and Yulia Poskakukhina

Biodiversity in Europe is at a critical risk: intensive or industrial farming and forestry practices, urbanisation, land abandonment, climate change and invasive species have reduced the resilience of our ecosystems and are threatening native species. The issue of inadequate land use severely impacts biodiversity and jeopardizes our supply of food, clean water and other bio-based resources. To prevent an irreversible situation, the EU has taken a step forward by introducing the EU Nature Restoration Regulation. Entering into force in August 2024, the EU Nature Restoration Regulation aims to achieve an ambitious goal to put all ecosystems in need of restoration on the path to recovery by 2050. Unlike previous policies, it looks beyond 2030 and incorporates 25 years targets for long-lasting system change. Member States are currently intensively preparing for the national adaptation through the National Restoration Plans (NRPs) due in September 2026.  

What can SUPERB and other Green Deal ecosystem restoration projects offer to policymakers involved in developing the NRPs? What are some of the lessons we can draw from stakeholder engagement carried out under these projects?  

On 10 March 2025, a high-level policy event in Brussels, ‘Supporting National Restoration Plan Development,’ gathered around 80 national and Commission representatives involved in developing or guiding NRPs, as well as key stakeholders like landowners’ organisations. Organised by the EU’s Green Deal Ecosystem Restoration cluster projects, European Commission project officers, and Prospex Institute with support from the Green Deal Support Office and REA, this event featured SUPERB, MERLIN, REST-COAST, and WaterLANDS to support EU Member States and offer a platform to engage directly with the scientific communities behind these projects. 

During the morning panel with cluster projects coordinators moderated by Marc Gramberger of Prospex Institute, Elisabeth Schatzdorfer, our SUPERB coordinator, shared lessons from the project that are relevant for the national representatives working on NRPs. She emphasised the importance of addressing broader societal needs for diverse ecosystem services by rigorously going to the local level. The lessons from SUPERB also highlighted the need for not just scientific knowledge but also practical, on the ground experience to advance our strategies for the implementation of restoration.  To support this, SUPERB is rolling out a key restoration actor-targeted Forest Knowledge Gateway and Restoration Marketplace to share scientific and practical knowledge collected through the project and offer matchmaking possibilities to connect those working on restoration with investors. As a take-home message for national representatives, Elisabeth emphasised in particular three points:  

  • The need for the application of adaptive, forward-looking restoration in their NRPs to respond to climate change and diverse societal needs. A very important measure is assisted tree migration. Since the NRR is very narrow on the definition of native tree species, here the recommendation was to consider dropping the optional NRR indicator on ‘Share of forests dominated by native tree species’. 
  • The importance of clarity and transparency about the trade-offs to get broad societal support, because e.g. restored sites may have a reduced C sink capacity or may temporarily even become a source of carbon, or the restoration actions may benefit some parts of biodiversity, while others are not favoured;   
  • The need to address omnipresent browsing issues at the national and local levels, which is a major cause for forest degradation and hindrance for forest restoration and adaptation, also dramatically increasing the costs of forest restoration due to the required protective measures.  

In the afternoon, three breakout sessions were organised to discuss themes where SUPERB partners were represented: 

  • 1) Financing restoration, represented by Thomas Lundhede (University of Copenhagen),  
  • 2) Synergies, trade-offs, monitoring, and prioritisation, represented by Gert-Jan Nabuurs and Sara Filipek (Wageningen University) and Yulia Poskakukhina (Prospex Institute) 
  • 3) Stakeholder engagement and governance, represented by Miro Prek (Prospex Institute) and Rina Tsubaki (EFI) 

The breakout group on financing discussed a wide range of issues that need to be addressed for successful restoration financing. The Rest-Coast and Waterlands projects showed several business models for upscaling different types of projects and the pros and cons were discussed. With an emphasis that a “one-size-fits-all” approach does not work in this context, the session highlighted the importance of a strong value proposition that also demonstrates how the restoration brings about additionality and permanence to generate incentives for investment. It was mentioned how the availability of finance is not necessarily the problem but rather that the risk adjusted return on investments that investors expect is not sufficient. It was discussed in which ways government can assist in de-risking investments in nature restoration.   

The group focusing on synergies, trade-offs, monitoring and prioritisation covered a broad range of themes and tools from four Green Deal cluster projects. For example, SUPERB presented its restoration guidelines and its projection tools to support both experts and the public in understanding “what happens to forests in the future” and to access trade-offs. It emphasised that circumstances and pressures on forests are different across Europe and that forests fulfil many functions all of which will be influenced by restoration. All this needs to be reflected in the goals of the restoration, monitoring and assessment tools used.  During the discussion, it was noted that targeting low-hanging fruit is one strategy that allows public authorities to showcase achievable results quickly. For instance, this can be done by prioritising reactive ecosystems. It was also highlighted that demonstrating the pursuit of multiple goals (for instance, biodiversity restoration and protection from flooding) can make projects more acceptable. To create more incentives for investment, participants suggested that cost-benefit analysis should also be integrated into monitoring so that data can support the value proposition. Monitoring was emphasised as a tool for both guiding restoration actions and bringing stakeholders on board through evidence. Considering the difficulty of monitoring every single restoration action, participants promoted Randomised and sampling-based approaches for monitoring.  

Last but not least, the final group discussed governance challenges and barriers to restoration on one hand and the role of stakeholder engagement in addressing these challenges on the other. To gain public and community support for any policy implementation, it’s vital to address the interests of different stakeholders. To do so, public authorities need to identify them first. Yet, several barriers may arise, ranging from institutional bureaucracy and fragmentation to a lack of regulatory frameworks and policy integration. Despite these institutional challenges, the research from four cluster projects shows that stakeholder engagement, collaborative decision-making, and holistic thinking play a crucial role in enabling restoration. During the discussion with Member State representatives, SUPERB presented its innovative approach to identifying underexplored public narratives and actors through online/social media data research.  We also shared our ‘Forest Storytelling and Engagement for Change’ Toolkit with the participating stakeholders as a practical guide to support stakeholder identification and engagement processes for NRPs.  

Photos by Rina Tsubaki

Feast from the Forest: Sweden’s Tradition of Wild Food Foraging, Hunting, and Fishing 

superbadmin on March 21, 2025

Restoration Story by Åsa Granberg and Gesche Schifferdecker

In the vast and serene forests of Sweden, nature provides an abundance of food for those who know where to look. From juicy berries and earthy mushrooms to fresh fish and game, the Swedish forest has long been a source of sustenance, deeply intertwined with the country’s culture and history. 

One of the most cherished aspects of Sweden’s relationship with its forests is the Right to Public Access, or “Allemansrätten.” This unique legal principle allows people to roam freely in nature, foraging for berries and mushrooms regardless of land ownership. It is a tradition that stretches back centuries, fostering a deep appreciation for the natural world among Swedes. 

To celebrate this years’ theme of the International Day of Forests “Forest and Food” we investigate the rich diversity of food forests in Sweden provide, and what role forest restoration and local tradition play here.

Read More

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.