From 19–21 September 2025, the Deutsche Waldtage took place all across Germany under the motto “Gemeinsam! Für den Wald” (“Together! For the Forest”). Foresters, forest owners, and many other actors connected to the forest invited people to join activities and events in their local woodlands. At the heart of the initiative is a simple but important message: highlighting the forest’s importance for both society and the environment.

In Aschaffenburg, the Amt für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten (AELF Karlstadt) and the city’s forestry department hosted an action day in the Fasanerie with guided walks, information stands, and a children’s program. One of the guided tours, “Wald & Klima”, focused on the impacts of climate change on our forests.

Our employee and PhD student Julia Rieder contributed to this tour with a talk based on her doctoral research within the projects beechdecline and EO4CAM. She explained how European beech trees were severely affected by the drought years of 2018/19, demonstrating the effects of this decline directly in the Fasanerie. Julia also discussed the implications for the future, noting that recurring droughts will challenge the resilience of beech forests and underscore the importance of adaptive strategies such as species diversity and sustainable management.

Events like the Deutsche Waldtage offer an important platform to connect science, forestry practice, and the public – and to inspire joint action for the future of our forests.