Summary of project results
Forests belong to the most endangered ecosystems of our planet and the hazards are not absent in Europe and the Czech Republic. While the global problem remains primarily in the illegal logging, main threat to the Czech forests is the reduction of biodiversity and ecological stability. Artificial monocultures of spruce or pine and clear-cut logging degrade the soil, therefore further acidifies it and loses its important nutrients. Unnatural growths are more susceptible to pests and poorly withstand disasters. The problem is also the lack of FSC material, which increases the ecological footprint of the Czech Republic. Therefore, the main objective of the project of the national office of FSC (Fairwood, z. s.) was to raise awareness among owners and forest managers about FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and the sustainable forest management, which could change the current situation. To solve this problem, it was very important to inform the public, which has the ability to promote sound forest management by responsible consumption of wood products with the FSC label. The FSC seminars and meetings of experts in the forestry social field, which were accompanied by the practical excursions in the woods, managed to establish many contacts and show managers and forest owners, that the management according to the rules of FSC certification makes sense. For example the Forests of the town of Zlin also have certified shortly after the seminars. The project FNNO allowed better knowledge among the public about responsible consumption throughout the country within the roadshows. In Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Olomouc, Pilsen and other cities we have met with consumers in an interactive program. With partners we organized a photographic competition for two years, one of the largest events with environmental theme in the Czech Republic. Several thousand visitors have the opportunity to play a strategic online game (
www.lesaria.cz), learn more about the sound forest management from the newsletter "Good Wood" and
www.poznejdrevo.cz website and support the protection of the Czech and the world's forests. Thanks to these activities, in the end of the project we have seen more than 40% increase of knowledge of the FSC among the general public based on a representative survey.