In 2025, ForestPaths invites you to immerse yourself into the domain of forest research via a new medium - the ForestChats podcast. The series will explore outputs and findings surrounding the project, with expert interviews winding their way through the scientific results, technological innovations and policy pathways. All of this will familarise listeners with the core aim of ForestPaths – to help co-design a forward-oriented policy landscape for sustainable forest management. 

The first episode centred on an insightful discussion between ForestPaths coordinator Dr. Hans Verkerk of the European Forest Institute and Professor Diana Feliciano of Teesside University. The topic in focus was the Climate and Biodiversity-Smart (CBS) approach to forest management and how it aims to bolster the potential of forests to adapt to changes in climate and contribute to biodiversity protection. In this context, Professor Feliciano elaborated on her work to better understand the factors influencing forest managers’ decisions and the methodologies that she and other ForestPaths partners have employed to investigate that.  

To introduce CBS forest management, she outlined the workflow defining its exploration in ForestPaths. In that sense, Professor Feliciano stressed that the research draws from many sources (literature reviews, interviews, surveys, workshops) and depends upon the cooperation of numerous external stakeholders across the countries represented in the project’s consortium and beyond. 

Moreover, she also touched upon the extent to which the CBS approach is already embraced by European forest owners and managers. Observations in this context indicate that, while this methodology is indeed widespread across the continent, much work remains on the road to seeing it fully implemented on the ground. To Professor Feliciano, policy has a key role to play here as comprehensive schemes, regulations and monitoring can help ensure a better quality of management standards and performance going forward. 

The podcast series represents the next step in making ForestPaths’ results even more accessible and engaging to a wider audience. You can listen to the first episode on Spotify, SoundCloud and Deezer or below. Stay tuned for future ForestChats updates in the dedicated section on the project website.