Restoring forests for the future, not the past – SUPERB

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We’re back with the fourth episode of Steps for Nature! Today, we speak with Sara and Silke from Wageningen Environmental Research about large-scale forest restoration through the SUPERB project. The conversation explores how restoration approaches are evolving in the context of a changing climate, how different projects can learn from one another, and the importance of listening in restoration work.

Part of Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen Environmental Research is a Dutch research institute focused on the green living environment, combining scientific and applied research across a wide range of environmental fields. Its work covers topics such as forests, landscapes, ecology, soil, urban environments, and more.

“It happened sometimes that some of the demonstration areas that were established, for example in France or Spain, were just destroyed by a wildfire. Basically that means that the actions that happened within the first two years of the project were literally just burned to the ground, so they needed to reestablish the demonstration area. That also just shows how difficult it is in the current times to really secure the success of the restoration, because there are so many unknowns that can influence it and certainly they can create some of the barriers that we don’t have influence on.” – Sara Filipek

The SUPERB project was a large-scale forest restoration initiative focused on restoring forest landscapes across Europe. Funded under the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, it brought together partners from multiple countries to carry out restoration activities in 12 large-scale demonstration areas, working closely with local stakeholders and communities. The project aimed to combine scientific and practical knowledge to support more effective restoration, while also strengthening collaboration, knowledge exchange, and public engagement around forest ecosystems.

Learn more:

Wageningen Environmental Research
SUPERB: Upscaling Forest Restoration
Forest Knowledge Gateway
Restoration Marketplace
Forest restoration in practice [Booklet]