he forest shown on the left bears little resemblance to a snapshot of a forest as we would like to see it maintained. In recent years swathes of forest have disappeared, their harvesting forced by the recent drought that left many trees dead. The results are clearly visible: bare plots dotted with a remaining stand of dead trees. That this is today’s reality would have been inconceivable to anyone a number of years ago.
‘So what do we do now?’, that’s the question we must ask. The cycle of responsible harvesting, new planting and/or natural regeneration has been utterly disrupted by this calamity. Living in and off the forest seems to have become an unrealistic aim. But when I’m travelling, I see that nature is fighting back and recovering. In a number of places, the forest’s germination capacity is clearly visible and new tree stands are reappearing. Not everywhere, mind you, and that’s an issue we will need to address.
It is our responsibility to build a new future for the generations to come; so that once again we can live in and off the forest! As well as harvesting, transporting and selling our timber, we have made a clear choice to invest in planting and nurturing new forests. Thanks to the broad knowledge and experience within our team at Van den Nagel, we are able to assist forest owners from the ‘design stage’ through to the delivery of high-quality plant material. This naturally includes the planting operation, the installation of fencing (where wildlife has a strong presence) and the nurturing of the newly planted forest.
As our slogan says: wood is the future!
This is what we are building. Not only for today, but also for tomorrow. Together, let’s get the best out of the forest!
Best regards,
Nico Hofman
Would you like more information? Feel free to call or mail us: +31 (0)577 492403 / info@vandennagel.nl