On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, the all-day online “2nd LIFE Project Upscaling Workshop” took place, bringing together experts, project partners, and representatives of forestry practice from eight European countries. The workshop focused on the adaptation of forest ecosystems to climate change and the promotion of close-to-nature forest management.
The program featured presentations on the LIFE Adapt Brdy, CLIMAFORCEELIFE, LIFE ModelForest, LIFE Climate Forest, LIFE ForestHabitatLT, and LIFE4FOREST projects. Participants shared experiences regarding forest restoration, water retention in the landscape, supporting biodiversity, and reducing damage caused by wildlife.
A significant part of the program was the expert workshop “Climate Change Adaptation in Forests.” Participants worked in groups on specific challenges from project practice and discussed, for example, the risks of spruce monocultures, the impacts of bark beetle infestations, wildlife management, and measures to increase the landscape’s water retention capacity.
Specific results of the LIFE Adapt Brdy project were also presented, including the establishment of demonstration plots, the revitalization of spring areas, and the monitoring of natural forest restoration.
At the conclusion of the workshop, an expert panel discussion was held on the obstacles and conditions for the transition to close-to-nature forest management. The discussion was attended by Tomáš Vrška, president of Pro Silva Europe and a member of the European Commission’s forestry advisory panel. Also participating were Etiënne Thomassen from Bosgroep Zuid Nederland, an expert in close-to-nature forest management focused on sustainable forestry; Jiří Novák from the Forest Management and Game Management Research Station, who specializes in the sustainability and resilience of forest stands; and Michal Servus, Director General of the Nature and Landscape Protection Section at the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic.
The workshop, organized by the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences at the Czech University of Life Sciences in cooperation with VLS ČR, s.p., confirmed the importance of international cooperation and the exchange of experiences in the search for effective measures to increase the resilience of European forests to climate change.