Nature Healing the Wounds

At the beginning of 2020, a windstorm damaged nearly 1,000 hectares of spruce forest in the Hășmaș Mountains in the Eastern Carpathians.

We planted together a mixed stand of Beech (Fagus sylvatica), Spruce (Picea abies), Silver fir (abies alba), Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), and Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) on a 5-hectare site.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/W1UZ4evCqBzoJkpV6

The goal of these seedlings is to increase species diversity and strengthen the climate resilience of the future forest stand.

These species will eventually become part of the natural climax forest. By planting them, we are helping to speed up ecological succession—a process that is already underway in parallel with our efforts. In the most heavily damaged patches, goat willow (Salix caprea) and birch (Betula pendula) are growing vigorously. In areas where the canopy remained more intact, shrubs are competing strongly with our seedlings.

Fortunately, despite a poor 2025 growing season—marked by late frosts and a very dry early summer—a large part our seedlings have begun to grow well. Spruce is showing particularly strong development, but the deciduous species are also starting to move beyond the initial stagnation phase, when most of their energy goes into root establishment.