Gavoi (Nuoro, Sardengna) – Forestry professionals, researchers, and land managers from across Europe gathered in Sardinia, Italy, for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Pro Silva, the European organisation promoting close-to-nature forest management. The event explored how Pro Silva principles can be effectively adapted to the specific socio-cultural, environmental, and climatic challenges of the Mediterranean region.
Sardinia was selected as the meeting venue due to its representative role within the Mediterranean basin. Its diverse forest types and strong cultural heritage reflect many of the key issues facing Mediterranean forest management today, as vulnerability to drought and wildfires and difficulty in achieving valuable timber production. In this context, with the Mediterranean recognized as the world’s second-largest biodiversity hotspot, the multifunctional role of forests is key to supporting local economies and communities.
The programme focused on:
- Coppice management and forest commons as traditional forest uses, alongside innovative approaches to applying Pro Silva principles within these systems.
- Integrated forest management aimed at balancing biodiversity conservation with wood and cork production.
- Climate adaptation and fire prevention strategies in forests with long-term low-impact management histories.
The meeting provided an immersive journey through Mediterranean forest landscapes, where traditional practices like coppicing and civic forest use were revisited in the context of new opportunities for integration with the Pro Silva vision.
Particular attention was given to the question of how close-to-nature forestry can be effectively adapted to Mediterranean ecosystems, and what tools and approaches are needed to address both current and future challenges. The event contributed to broader discussions on the implementation of the EU Guidelines on Closer-to-Nature Forest Management and the goals of the European Forest Strategy for 2030.
The Sardinia meeting has confirmed Pro Silva’s ongoing commitment to supporting sustainable forest management throughout Europe, with a renewed focus on the Mediterranean context, characterized by rich landscape and cultural heritage but needing urgent innovation.
