"This award for the Wiesbaden City Forest as Forest Area of the Year is a great honor for our city and fills me with pride," explains Mayor Christiane Hinninger. "At the same time, it is a wonderful acknowledgement for our dedicated employees in the forestry department."

As early as the 1980s, Wiesbaden's foresters began to move away from clear-cutting, promote natural regeneration and plant as many different tree species as possible. "This was a very modern approach at the time, which I as head of department consistently pursued during my first term of office with FSC and Naturland certification. The protection of biodiversity and natural resources through sustainable forest management has always been a project close to my heart."

Careful management with a particular focus on preserving natural resources has led to the forest around Wiesbaden fulfilling many important functions today - soil, water, climate and species protection. The city forest is a habitat for highly endangered species such as the wildcat, the Aesculapian snake, the green broom moss and the hermit beetle.

In a conurbation such as the Rhine-Main region, the demands on the functions of the forest are particularly high. Forests should enable people to experience nature and engage in sport, they should be used for recreation and timber production and, on top of that, the resources in the forest should be protected. Combining all these different and sometimes contradictory requirements requires a great deal of experience, specialist knowledge and a forestry approach that goes beyond individual assessments.

"This is not an easy task, but it is a very rewarding and fulfilling one that can only be accomplished with a team of highly committed foresters," says Sabine Rippelbeck, Head of the Forestry Department, in praise of her team's work. By choosing the "Forest Area of the Year 2025 ", the forestry experts of the BDF are recognizing this great work of the entire forestry sector of the state capital.

"We are very pleased to honor the foresters in the Wiesbaden municipal forest this year, as they provide a wide range of services for the citizens of Wiesbaden. Particular mention should be made of the forest management in the local recreation area, which is so careful and close to nature that even drinking water can be extracted from the drinking water tunnels near the surface," says Dirk Schäfer, BDF Federal Chairman.

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