Human life on Earth can only be sustained with the survival and proper functioning of natural systems, especially forests. However, large-scale deforestation and forest degradation takes place in many countries in the world. In other parts of the World, the unstoppable process of urbanization increasingly leads to the physical and mental separation of people from nature. More and more this is resulting in total refusal of active measures in forests aiming at wood production. In political decision-making and economic processes, you barely find representatives of forest related sciences. While we are exceeding the limits of our planet’s carrying capacity, awareness of that wicked problem is limited and nature-based solutions are underrepresented in the political discussions on problem solving.

Representatives of the forestry profession agree that a certain amount of utilization of forests for wood production is necessary. However, the use of wood in the construction and furniture industry, the replacement of fossil-based energy production with renewable wood, and the utilization of forest by-products do only cover a part of societal needs. In addition to this, the demand for ecosystem services such as the provision of good air and clean water, recreation/tourism, and nature conservation is increasing. The latter demands often appear in an ideological form, increasing the conflict between farmers and foresters, lay people, NGOs and representatives of nature conservation in the assessment of the various possibilities of multi-purpose utilization of forests.

What can professionals of higher forestry education and further education do against the unfavourable processes described here? What and how to communicate? To what extent can forest sciences assess and determine the weight with which different societal needs are satisfied? How can the gap be bridged between the knowledge background and perceptions of forest scientists, political decision makers and lay people? And how can this be used to adapt the contents of teaching and further education in forest and nature related disciplines?