Regrowing Its Forests for the Future
Guten Tag! Welcome to Germany.
Germany is one of the largest countries in Europe by both its size and its population (how many people live there). Trees have covered the German landscape for thousands of years. Many wild animals, including deer and wild boar, still make their homes in the beautiful wooded terrain of this country. Today, one third of the land in Germany is forest.
Nevertheless, Germany has not always cared for its forest the way it does today. Over the past three hundred years, Germany has cut down many of its trees. Hundreds of years ago, glass blowing became a popular business in parts of Germany. The fires were needed to heat the glass, so acres of trees were chopped down. As the population of Germany continued to grow, more wood was needed for the cities. Germans started mining the land (digging big holes in the ground) to find coal. Acres of forests disappeared. Germany lost even more of its trees when it was fighting in WWI and WWII. The military needed a lot of wood!
Once the wars were over, the German people worked hard to rebuild their country, including replanting forests. Many of the new trees planted were not the same as the old trees that use to grow on the land, but they did help to clean the air and water, provide habitat for animals, and supply people with a sustainable source of lumber for rebuilding their homes and businesses.
Today, in Germany, over half of the forests are owned by farmers. Some German tree scientists are working with farmers to find ways to protect existing forests, and plant new trees in between their crops. This is called agroforestry.
Many Germans enjoy hiking through the forest, making woodcrafts (like violins and cuckoo clocks), and building homes from the beautiful trees around them. The people of Germany are trying hard to responsibly manage their trees, so the forests can continue to grow in size and diversity well into the future.
Click here to learn more about violins in Germany.
Germany is one of the largest countries in Europe by both its size and its population (how many people live there). Trees have covered the German landscape for thousands of years. Many wild animals, including deer and wild boar, still make their homes in the beautiful wooded terrain of this country. Today, one third of the land in Germany is forest.
Nevertheless, Germany has not always cared for its forest the way it does today. Over the past three hundred years, Germany has cut down many of its trees. Hundreds of years ago, glass blowing became a popular business in parts of Germany. The fires were needed to heat the glass, so acres of trees were chopped down. As the population of Germany continued to grow, more wood was needed for the cities. Germans started mining the land (digging big holes in the ground) to find coal. Acres of forests disappeared. Germany lost even more of its trees when it was fighting in WWI and WWII. The military needed a lot of wood!
Once the wars were over, the German people worked hard to rebuild their country, including replanting forests. Many of the new trees planted were not the same as the old trees that use to grow on the land, but they did help to clean the air and water, provide habitat for animals, and supply people with a sustainable source of lumber for rebuilding their homes and businesses.
Today, in Germany, over half of the forests are owned by farmers. Some German tree scientists are working with farmers to find ways to protect existing forests, and plant new trees in between their crops. This is called agroforestry.
Many Germans enjoy hiking through the forest, making woodcrafts (like violins and cuckoo clocks), and building homes from the beautiful trees around them. The people of Germany are trying hard to responsibly manage their trees, so the forests can continue to grow in size and diversity well into the future.
Click here to learn more about violins in Germany.