Forests of the future

Giving young voices a place in the forest debate

Forests of the future

Giving young voices a place in the forest debate

Background and project outline

Discussions about the role of forests are more intense than ever. Research shows that today’s forestry practices have severe consequences for both climate and biodiversity. At the same time, there is a growing demand for renewable resources like wood products and fibbers, intended to replace high-emission materials. The forestry industry advocates for intensified logging and increased tree plantations – but what happens to forest species when rich, complex ecosystems are replaced with monotonous production forests? What happens to the carbon stored in trees and root systems? Both the EU and the scientific community emphasize the urgent need for change in forestry practices – yet in this transition, where is the voice of young people?

This initiative aims to highlight the many values of forests and provide young people with a platform to discuss the future of Sweden’s forests. Should forests be protected for the climate? For biodiversity? Recreation? Or material production? Using scientifically based educational materials developed by Rewilding Sweden, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, scientists, and youth, young “school ambassadors” visit classrooms to deepen students’ understanding of the role forests play in both ecosystems and society. The materials evolve during the curse of the project based on the students’ own insights and will ultimately made freely available to schools. Running over three years, the initiative also includes camps, excursions, and advanced courses for young people passionate about forests and the environment, organized by Rewilding Sweden and the youth organization PUSH Sweden. At the end of the project, the perspectives of young participants will be compiled and presented to forest owners, organizations, and policymakers at a forest conference – ensuring that more voices are heard in the future of forest management.

Funding: Swedish Inheritance Fund
Collaborating organisations: PUSH Sweden, Future Minds, European Young Rewilders

Sign up your school for the project!

Are you a teacher of 9th-grade or high school students, based in Sweden, and want to take part in this initiative? Our school ambassadors can visit your class for an interactive session. The visit requires two lesson hours, and while you won’t participate in the discussions, you are more than welcome to observe.

Think about which lesson times would work best and reach out to our project coordinator, Philip. To ensure meaningful discussions, group sizes should be manageable – if you have multiple classes, we can schedule additional visits. School visits are completely free and will begin in the spring term of 2025, running through 2027.

Get in touch with us!Sign up here

Philip Kjellström
Project manager “Forest of the future”

Prerequisites

The challenge

Few people truly understand how forestry practices shape forests, ecosystems, and the species that depend on them. What separates a production forest from a natural one? What defines an old-growth forest – and how are these landscapes treated? Forestry choices affect climate, biodiversity, and the future – yet young people, who will inherit these forests, often have no voice. The climate debate often promotes wood-based materials as fossil fuel replacements, overlooking the vast carbon stores in soils and standing forests. Biodiversity efforts focus on reserves, while the need for connected habitats and species’ right to exist is forgotten. Meanwhile, forests are critical for clean water, wildfire prevention, recreation, and the economy. In this context, is clear-cutting and monoculture the best way forward?

Decisions made today could be irreversible. Young people deserve information, a voice, and the power to shape the future – for forests, for nature, and for a truly sustainable tomorrow.

The solution

Step 1: Training the school ambassadors

Rewilding Sweden collaborates with young adults aged 18 to 25 to foster open discussions with students – free from adult influence. We call them the project’s school ambassadors.

Their journey begins with training weekends, where they are introduced to the project and receive a foundational education on forestry practices and the role of forests in climate and biodiversity, led by experts in the field. Alongside our project coordinator, they also help develop the educational materials that will later be used in classroom visits – the core of the initiative (Step 2).

Many of our school ambassadors are ecology or biology students at Swedish universities, or they have a deep personal commitment to forests, climate, and biodiversity.

School visits – young voices on the future of forests

At the heart of this project are peer-led discussions, where young people – without adult intervention – explore the future of Sweden’s forests. In pairs, our school ambassadors visit 9th-grade and high school classrooms nationwide, fostering open, inclusive conversations on two pressing issues: climate change and biodiversity loss in relation to forestry. All perspectives are welcome.

These visits spark questions, ideas, and solutions about forests’ role in the climate and biodiversity crisis, forestry’s impact, and sustainable management alternatives. Insights gathered are integrated into evolving educational materials forming the project’s final output. Students can further engage by joining the working group, camps, and excursions. Before reaching forest owners, policymakers, and decision-makers, the materials undergo fact-checking by researchers and experts. The final document will be freely available online for download and distribution.

Connection to curriculum goals

The classroom sessions led by our school ambassadors are directly linked to the national Swedish curriculum goals in biology, science, and social studies for both middle and high school students. A PDF outlining the specific learning objectives for these subjects is available for download at the bottom of this page (in Swedish).

Project process

Biologists from Rewilding Sweden, forestry researchers, and independent experts (1) compile a scientific knowledge base (2), which is then reviewed and refined by our school ambassadors (3). They adapt the content into an engaging educational format (4) used during school visits (5).

Classroom discussions, along with input from the broader group of school ambassadors and participating students (6), shape the first draft of the final report (7). This document captures young people’s perspectives on forests and their management and is presented to Swedish policymakers (8) with the aim of influencing the national Swedish curriculum. The material remains accessible online for free download (9).

Collaboration, camps, and field excursions

We collaborate with the two youth organizations PUSH Sweden, European Young Rewilders, as well as Future Minds. PUSH Sweden organizes gatherings where our school ambassadors and engaged students have the opportunity to meet researchers and forest experts and participate in discussions on forestry. These meetups include workshops, debates, and practical guidance on how young people can get involved in forest issues and expand their knowledge. European Young Rewilders help us engaging youths and holding seminars. Future Minds participate by distributing the educational material and information about the project, as well as contacting schools.

A series of field excursions are also arranged, allowing participants to visit areas where Rewilding Sweden is restoring forests, try hands-on restoration techniques, meet reindeer herders, and learn to distinguish different forest types in relation to their management.

Forests of the future – The blog!

Our school ambassadors share their thoughts and updates on the project (in Swedish).

Take me there

Project documents for download

Project information brochure – in Swedish (PDF)