This project is funded by the Umweltstiftung Michael Otto.

Since 2023, we have been supporting the Schöneberg Forest in the Lower Oder Valley National Park. As part of preliminary work with the support of the IVU-Stiftung, we began researching and developing the concept for the Schöneberg Wild Forest.

The approximately 400-hectare area in northeastern Brandenburg (Uckermark district) has been under strict protection since 1995. Like many forests in northeastern Brandenburg, the Schöneberg Forest suffers greatly from heat and drought stress, exacerbated by extreme edge effects from the surrounding open landscape. The forests planted in the 1980s are particularly affected, with some showing high mortality rates since 2018. The area thus offers a model for future forest development in Brandenburg and Germany. Due to its protected status, it offers a rare opportunity to observe the self-regulation of forest areas over the long term and to gain insights for sustainable forest management in times of climate crisis.