New Virgin Forest
A unique transformation of a spruce forest desert into a place where nature is re-emerging
What is the New Virgin Forest?
The New Vigin Forest is a long-term project to transform spruce monocultures into a diverse and natural forest that will one day become a new primeval forest again. After 20 years since the first parcel of land was acquired, the changes that have taken place here can no longer be overlooked:
BEFORE
AFTER
386 501 m2
land area
60–150 years
age of forest stands
550–825 m
altitude
2004 – spruce desert
In 2004, when we acquired the first 7 hectares of forest, most of them were covered with young spruce monoculture, broken by snow, damaged by wildlife, dark and almost devoid of any life.
2007 – forest restoration began
Some of the spruce trees were cut down at the beginning to make way for new beeches, maples, firs, elms and other species of native trees.
2010 – life returns
After only a few years, it was already evident how the originally dark spruce forest was beginning to change.
81 000
new seedlings
4 200 m
of fencing
1 400
volunteers
Volunteers help
Hundreds of volunteers joined the project, helping to plant over 80,000 seedlings and build several kilometres of fencing to protect the young trees from wildlife.
Nature returns to the forest
If you like what we do, you can support the New Virgin Forest by:
2024 – the transformation continues
In 2024, a second felling of part of the spruce trees took place in some areas to give young firs, maples, beeches and other trees more light and space to grow.
The Old Forest
With the spruce monocultures, we managed to buy up several hectares of more than 130 years old forest. This is no longer harvested; nature itself manages it.
Long distance run
The New Virgin Forest is a long-term project, the results of which will be seen by our children’s children. It will also include 200-300 year old trees, the kind of trees that are no longer found in commercial forests today. But you can see the positive changes already now.
If you like what we do, you can support the New Virgin Forest by:
A collection for the purchase of another 1.5 ha is currently in progress.
Detailed info about the new location
