Thuringia has a woman at the head of the State Forest for the first time!

Thuringia has a woman at the head of the State Forest for the first time!

A historical step for forestry in Germany: From 2026, Corinna Geißler will take over the management of the Thuringian State Forest. This is not only a personal success for the graduate forestry, but also a milestone, because she will be the first woman in this Position in a German state. The appeal was decided in a Germany -wide selection process, and Thuringia's Forestry Minister Tilo Kummer was enthusiastic about Geißler's future role, such as thueringen24.de reports.

At the moment Geißler is heading the forest research and competence center in Gotha and will lead the state forestry in a mixed double top together with Jörn Ripken from 2024. It succeeds Volker Gebhardt, who will retire at the end of 2023. Her goal is clear: "The adaptation of the Thuringian forests to climate change" is at the top of her agenda. Geißler sees the current state of the forests as a result of social action and emphasizes the urgency to put the importance of the forests into public awareness.

do not shy away from challenges

Geißler looks at 130,000 hectares of malware in Thuringia's forests and recognizes the challenges that these numbers bring with them. Nevertheless, she makes no secret of her confidence: "We have to develop and use new, innovative methods for keeping forest." This includes adapting plant times and greater promotion of natural processes. Their goal is to make the forests in Thuringia more robust, more structurally and more diverse and to make them better for the future.

The Thuringia Forest also faces structural changes caused by demographic change. The workforce not only becomes younger, but also more diverse in its skills. The Thuringia Forest currently employs over 1,400 employees and trainees as well as increasing demand for study places in the area of ​​"Forestry and Ecosystem Management" - so there were an impressive 311 applications for eight places, such as mdr.de reported.

A trend towards more women in forestry

at a time when forestry needs more diversity, Geißler's calling is a sign. The topic of more women in forestry is currently in conversation like never before. Initiatives such as the "Forest in Frauen hands" project, which was launched over ten years ago, aim to increase the proportion of women and create specific further training opportunities. Studies also show that women are often underestimated in the industry and can bring new perspectives. This confirms Forstztzung.at by pointing out the challenges with which women are confronted in a traditionally male-dominated environment.

The developments in Thuringia and the increasing influence of women are not only locally, but also part of a larger trend in forestry as a whole. Corinna Geißler is in the fortunate situation not only to act as a model, but also to actively participate in the design of a sustainable forestry. After all, it is not only a challenge, but also an exciting opportunity to preserve our valuable forests for future generations.