BUND Plants 20’000 Trees for the Wildcat

The German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) is reaching a milestone this autumn in the project “Wildcat Forests of Tomorrow”.

With the planting of tree seedlings, the organisation continues its extensive efforts on behalf of the wildcat. In collaboration with local partners, BUND has been implementing nature conservation measures across Germany since October 2022. The total area enhanced amounts to nearly 85 hectares, roughly the size of 120 football pitches. The measures will sustainably improve living conditions for the wildcat and a wide variety of other species.

Friederike Scholz, project leader of “Wildcat Forests of Tomorrow”: “Also thanks to the dedicated support of many volunteers, we have already shaped over 6,200 metres of forest edges. In addition, we are enriching forests with deadwood and stacking branches and trunks. This creates safe hiding spots and breeding places for wildcats. The broad support from our committed local partners and the many volunteers makes all of this possible.”

Conservation efforts also include the removal of no-longer-needed fences, so-called knotted wire mesh fences. These pose dangers to wildlife, as animals can become entangled in them and perish. Together with numerous volunteers, the organisation has already dismantled over 2’700 metres of fencing. Further activities are planned for autumn, including a planting event in Thuringia. Here, the town of Wasungen, in cooperation with BUND Thuringia, is converting parts of its municipal forest into wildcat-friendly habitats. On this occasion, the symbolic 20’000th seedling of the project will also be planted.

Scholz: “At public planting festivals, volunteers can actively help shape the development of wildcat forests in their region. This allows everyone to participate in actions that protect our nature and environment in the long term.”

The BUND is calling on interested volunteers to participate in upcoming planting initiatives. In addition, the BUND is looking for individuals and organizations willing to make their land available for wildcat conservation, and supports them with wildcat expertise in forest management as well as with volunteers for conservation activities.

Background:

The six-year project “Wildcat Forests of Tomorrow” is funded under the Federal Programme for Biological Diversity by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation using funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection. The BUND is committed to ensuring that the wildcat can once again spread across its original habitats. It serves as a representative for many other forest-dwelling species. Where the wildcat thrives, conditions are optimal for many species such as the lynx, Bechstein's bat, and the middle spotted woodpecker.