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Germany's first Tiny Forest was realized on a private property in the Uckermark 🌳🌲 The idea behind the "Forest of Diversity" project: This rapidly growing microhabitat is intended to make a contribution to climate protection that is also easy for others to imitate. The project is being implemented by Stefan Scharfe (Forestry System Transformation M.Sc.) and Lukas Steingässer (International Forest Ecosystem Management B.Sc.)...

You can find reports on the project at FRITZ and [w] wie Wissen (ARD). More information about the project!

Here you can find an interview with the managing director of Finzio, Florian Augustin

IFEM graduate Florian Augustin and his team from Finizio were guests at the kick-off meeting in the German Bundestag to give a lecture on "sustainable food production in closed material cycles". It was more precisely about their "Recycling demonstration plant" in Eberswalde. Within the scope of their project Finizio, Florian and his team design comfortable and future-oriented sanitary systems by refining human excrements into fertile soil - hygienic, odourless and efficient. Speakers from the Federal Ministry of Food & Agriculture (BMEL), the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) as well as experts from science & research were present at the technical discussion. Further information about the project can be found HERE

A current report on the project can also be seen on ZDF

For the first time this year the special prize "Sustainability Forest" was awarded in the context of the German Forest Award (Deutscher Waldpreis) The choice fell thereby on the wald-wird-mobil.de gGmbH from Berlin. Digitalisation represents a particular challenge in forest management. The wald-wird-mobil.de gGmbH with employee Milan Hänsel (IFEM graduate) develops solutions for a forestry 4.0, which meets the requirements of family forestry enterprises and forest enterprise communities in particular. Thus wald-wird-mobil.de provides an innovative contribution to the achievement of our common goal of an efficient, sustainable and multifunctional forestry. This commitment convinced the jury.

Image: C. Mühlhausen via forstpraxis.de

Visit to the University of Quindío
 During his tour, visiting selected Universities with a strong focus on environment and sustainable development, Christoph Nowicki was invited by the University of Quindío, Colombia (from August 7^th to August 13^th 2019). First discussions on cooperation options for the development of a new study programme on forest management and conservation, started in 2018 during a visit of a Colombian delegation in Eberswalde, thanks to the initiative of Norbert Pudzich, German Honorary Consul in Armenia. Now, first concrete steps towards a living cooperation have been intensively discussed and defined with the heads of faculties, study programmes and the Rector, how strongly supports the cooperation. In 2020, the University of Quindío will offer internships (in cooperation with partner institutions) for IFEM-students but would also like to cooperate with the study programmes on Global Change Management and Forestry System Transformation.

From left to right:: C. Nowicki, Carolina Bolaños Rodríguez (Head of International Office at Ikiam), Jesús Ramos Martín (Principal at Ikiam)

Invitation to “Universidad Regional Amazónica – Ikiam”
On August 5th 2019, Christoph Nowicki (EUSD) has been invited by the “Universidad Regional Amazónica – Ikiam”, Ecuador, to discuss possibilities for cooperation in student exchange between our Universities together with the Heads of the University and of the most suitable study programmes. Special emphasis was given on the cooperation with the undergraduate programme “International Forest Ecosystem Management” (B.Sc.). Ikiam has a strong focus on sustainable development in the Amazon region, implements projects in close collaboration with the local and indigenous population and showed a great interest in EUSD and a close future cooperation.

Images: C. Nowicki

Cooperation talks at Western Colorado University

On July 15th-17th 2019, the dean of the ‘School of Environment and Sustainability’, Dr. John Hausdoerffer (middle), from ‘Western Colorado University’ in Gunnison (Colorado), invited his faculty members and Christoph Nowicki (EUSD) to intensively discuss the future cooperation and student exchange between our two partner Universities. Special emphasis was given on the cooperation with the undergraduate programme ‘International Forest Ecosystem Management” (B.Sc.) and the graduate programme ‘Global Change Management’ (M.Sc.).

EUSD to become member of the ‘Resilience Studies Consortium’ (RSC)

Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (EUSD) has been invited to become a member of the ‘Resilience Studies Consortium’ (RSC), a network of eleven North American Universities interested in applied research on resilience and sustainability topics. For the first time, the RSC is reaching out for international partners and invited EUSD to become the first European and the ‘Environmental University’ (UMA - Mexico) the first Latin American partner. Christoph Nowicki participated in the RSC annual retreat in Tacoma, Washington, at ‘The Evergreen State College’ (11.07.-13.07.2019) as a representative for EUSD and presented how resilience topics are being integrated into teaching and research at EUSD.

Visit from the Netherlands

Prof. Peter van der Meer (centre), from Van Hall Larenstein – University for Applied Sciences, Netherlands, surrounded by his colleagues from Eberswalde and 6. Semester IFEM-Students participating in the module on “Forest landscape restoration”, coordinated by Prof. Peter Spathelf. Peter von der Meer is a regular guest lecturer of this module, sharing essential international experiences from his research at Van Hall Larenstein from projects all over the world.     

Professional field presentation

Last Wednesday, the annual professional field presentation took place at the Department of Forest and Environment, where alumni of the study programmes Forestry & International Forest Ecosystem Management students gave an insight into their working lives.

From February 27^th  to March 1^st, a delegation from the European Wilderness Society, partner of International Forest Ecosystem Management, and the Western Colorado University in Gunnison, USA, started to discuss a new cooperation between the two Universities, with a special focus on International Forest Ecosystem Management (B.Sc.), Global Change Management (M.Sc.) and joint research projects related to the Centre of Econics and Ecosystem Management.

From left to right: Prof. Pierre Ibisch, Vlado Vancura, Christoph Nowicki, Anni Henning, Prof. Jonathan Coop, Max Rossberg, Jeanette Blumroeder, Prof. John Hausdoerfer (photo: C. Nowicki)

Guest lecture in Sweden

On November 30th Prof. Spathelf gave a lecture on 'Continuous-Cover-Forestry in Germany' at the Swedish Agricultural University (SLU). Close-to-nature forest management or permanent forest management is also a much discussed forest management approach in Sweden.

Deans Day at the HNE Eberswalde

On the 13th November 2018 an exchange of information took place at the HNE Eberswalde between representatives of the forestry faculties and departments in Germany (so-called Dean's Day) The discussions focused on questions of education, the development of student numbers, digitisation in research and teaching as well as internationalisation. The aim is to hold the meeting every 2 years.

New IFEM-Partner: European Wilderness Society

Prof. Dr. Wilhelm-Günther Vahrson, President of Eberswalde University for sustainable Develpment and Max A E Rossberg (left), Chairman of the European Wilderness Society, signed a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding fostering joint activities
for the IFEM-Study Programme.

20 Years Anniversary Symposium of the Bachelor Study Programme International Forest Ecosystem Management

With over 150 guests, the IFEM programme celebrated its 20th anniversary on 28 September 2018. In addition to the IFEM-partners (Dr. Elke Mannigel (OroVerde), Simon Mader (Querdenker / FuturoVerde) and Dr. Michael Haubold-Rosar (Forschungsinstitut für Bergbaufolge-landschaften e.V. Finsterwalde) and international guest speakers (PhD Peter van der Meer (Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands) as well as Max Rossberg (European Wilderness Society, Austria)), many alumni were guests. After the festive programme with exciting lectures and humorous memories of the early days of the study programme, the alumni and IFEM students used the opportunity for exchange and cheerful  togetherness with live music and grilled game sausages or cheese until late in the evening. 

Image: Jonas Sitte

During a visit of a delegation from the "Universidad del Quindío" (Colombia) to the Department of Forests and Environment on 19th March 2018, the common aim of cooperation was confirmed by the signing of a cooperation agreement. In particular, a student exchange and the possibility of joint project work (practical semesters abroad) are to be initiated for the IFEM programme.

From left to right: Norbert Pudzich, Luis Fernando Polanía, Obando, Christoph Nowicki, Wilhelm-Günther Vahrson, José Fernando Echeverry Murillo,
Pierre Ibisch, Peter Spathelf, Gustavo Botero Echeverry. Image: Hnee

Brown-bag talk at ICIMOD in Kathmandu

On the 02nd of November 2017 Professor Spathelf held a brown-bag talk at ICIMOD in Kathmandu on the topic 'Climate change adaptation of forests in Brandenburg'. ICIMOD is a knowledge centre supported by 8 countries of the Himalaya region for the integrated sustainable development of mountain regions.

Image: ICIMOD

Visit from Canada

Prof. Sandy Smith (pictured 2nd from right) from the University of Toronto visited the Department of Forest and Environment on September 12, 2016. Interesting cooperation possibilities in the field of student exchange, the development of joint courses and research were explored. A possible technical focus of the future cooperation is seen in the area of 'Urban forestry'.

Image: hnee

Professor Vasyl Lavnyy visits the faculty

In February 2016 Professor Vasyl Lavnyy (right) from the Lemberger Forstuniversität was a guest at the department.

In the context of the project "Civil society engagement for sustainable forest management - support of democracy through the promotion of interdisciplinary discourse and transparency in promoting forms of cooperation" he deals with sustainable near-natural forest management in Germany and how this could be transferred to management approaches in the Ukraine, especially in the pine industry. Of particular interest are the possibilities for stakeholders to influence the development of management plans.

Image: hnee

From 30 November to 04 December 2015 Prof. Spathelf visited the Institute for Lowland Forestry and Environment (ILFE) of the University of Novi Sad in Serbia. The aim of the stay was to discuss the application for funding for a research network (MOEL-SOEL tender of the BMBF). On an excursion to the Kruska Gora National Park, a variety of mixed deciduous forests (mainly oak, lime and hornbeam) could be admired.

Eberswalde, 25.09.2015. Last week Professor Ayan from Kastamonu University in the Turkish provincial capital of the same name (right) and Professor Reque from the University of Valladolid were guests at the Department of Forests and Environment and in the Forest Botanical Gardens as part of Erasmus Mobility.

During an excursion in the Eberswalde and Chorin area, current silvicultural issues were discussed and joint project ideas were concretized.

     Image: Prof. Dr. Peter Spathelf