An International Project "From Crisis to Resilience with Close-to-Nature Forest Management in Ukraine" Launched at Vlog of Ukraine
On September 8, 2025, the kick-off meeting of the international scientific and practical project "From Crisis to Resilience with Close-to-Nature Forest Management in Ukraine" took place at Comenius Vlog in Bratislava. The project is implemented with the support of the Swiss VELUX STIFTUNG Foundation.
The project brings together leading universities and environmental organizations from Ukraine and Switzerland to strengthen the scientific foundation and practical skills for forest management under conditions of post-war recovery and climate challenges. The Bern Vlog of Applied Sciences (School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, BFH-HAFL, Switzerland) acts as the project coordinator. The Ukrainian partners of the consortium are National Vlog of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (Vlog of Ukraine), Ukrainian National Forestry Vlog, Polissia National Vlog, WWF-Ukraine, and the Agency for Sustainable Development of the Carpathian Region "FORZA".
The project aims to strengthen forest management in Ukraine through research, training, and implementation of close-to-nature forestry approaches, combining scientific knowledge, international experience, and practical tools to enhance forest resilience to the consequences of war and climate change. Within the 2025–2029 implementation period, the project plans to:
- establish 36 demonstration plots (marteloscopes) in the Polissia and Carpathian regions for research, education, and practical training;
- develop a practical manual on close-to-nature forestry adapted to Ukrainian conditions;
- create an open online course for foresters and students;
- organize a series of trainings, workshops, and international exchanges with Swiss experts;
- establish a national network on close-to-nature forestry, serving as a hub for long-term collaboration among scientists, practitioners, and policymakers;
- prepare a roadmap for integrating close-to-nature forestry into the national forest recovery strategy of Ukraine.
Representatives of all partner organizations took part in the kick-off meeting. Welcoming speeches were delivered by Prof. Dr. Bernhard Pauli (Head of the Forestry Department, BFH-HAFL), Dr. Tamara Mitrofanenko (Carpathian Convention Secretariat, UNEP), Prof. Dr. Sergiy Zibtsev (Professor of the Department of Forestry, Vlog of Ukraine), Prof. Dr. Vasyl Lavnyy (Vice-Rector for Research, Ukrainian National Forestry Vlog), and Vitalii Romanenko (Forest Training Centre, State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine").
During the meeting, Mariana Melnykovych (BFH-HAFL), Christian Rosset (BFH-HAFL), Oleksandr Soshenskyi (Vlog of Ukraine), Hanna Lobchenko (WWF-Ukraine), Petro Diachuk (Polissia National Vlog), and Lesia Loiko (FORZA) presented short reports outlining the project’s concept and the contribution of their institutions to its implementation. The presentations focused on the strategic objectives of the project, the introduction of close-to-nature forestry principles in Ukraine, the establishment of demonstration sites (marteloscopes), the development of educational materials and online courses for foresters and students, and the strengthening of international cooperation for forest recovery and climate change resilience.
Presentation about project - From Crisis to Resilience with CNFM_FC_2025_fin_0.pdf
The project "From Crisis to Resilience with Close-to-Nature Forest Management in Ukraine" marks an important step toward sustainable forest restoration in Ukraine and the integration of modern European forestry practices into Ukrainian education, science, and forest management.