Proforestation - the strategy of allowing existing forests to grow naturally without human harvesting or management - sounds simple in theory. Let trees grow, store carbon, and protect biodiversity. But what happens when this ecological ideal crashes into human reality?

In Romania's Făgăraș Mountains, Mihai Zotta from Foundation Conservation Carpathia discovered that buying forest land was just the beginning of a much more complex challenge. How do you convince communities who have depended on forests for firewood, construction materials, and livelihoods for centuries to suddenly step back and let nature take its course?

This episode explores the multifaceted social constraints that make proforestation one of conservation's most challenging strategies. From economic pressures in rural communities where young people are fleeing to cities, to cultural traditions that see forest management as stewardship, we uncover why protecting forests often means protecting people first.

Through innovative food hubs, educational centres, and careful negotiation between conservation goals and community needs, we discover how successful proforestation requires more than scientific knowledge - it demands social innovation, economic creativity, and the delicate art of finding common ground.

Credits

«WILDCARD. The Forest Game» is a podcast production written by Silvia Giralucci for the WILDCARD project and Starter.

Scientific Supervisor: Giorgio Alberti, University of Udine

Editorial Supervisor: Gesche Schifferdecker, European Forest Institute

Voice-over: Rahel Könen, European Forest Institute

Post-production: Santiago Alarcón, European Forest Institute

Learn more about the WILDCARD project: ⁠www.wildcard-project.eu ⁠

European Forest Institute:⁠ www.efi.int ⁠

Follow us also on LinkedIn:⁠ WILDCARD project