XX UEF Governing Council Meeting 2016, Nødebo, Denmark

22 - 25 September 2016

A fruitful XX UEF Governing Council Meeting in Denmark

The XX Governing Council Meeting of UEF was organized from 22 to 25 September 2016 in Denmark, in the national Danish forest school, at Nødebo, not far from Copenhagen.
The delegates from 12 countries (on 20) representing 14 associations (on 24) were welcomed by the Danish colleagues, from DSL, a historic member of UEF, and DFF.

On Friday 23 September, the day started with a welcoming speach from Mr Henrik Bach, chairman of DSL and some words by Michael Diemer, President of UEF.
A first topic started then: "Outdoor education and outdoor education – alternate forestry production" with interesting presentations from a special consultant Mr. Søren Præstholm, a teaching associate professor Mr. Erik Mygind, a teaching associate professor Mr. Erik Mygind and a project manager Mrs. Mette Aaskov Knudsen.

A lot of Danish colleagues joined the UEF participants.
After that, an International seminar allowed large exchanges about this question: " The loss of biodiversity and forestry – impact of EU legislation on forestry in DK (and beyond)”.
The seminar was well managed by two facilitators, forest officer Mr. Lars Delfs and urban forester Mr. Rasmus Bartholdy, from DSL.
A presentation opened the seminar about “Conservation of biodiversity in Danish Forests” by special consultant/Biologist Mr. Anders Højgård Petersen, University of Copenhagen and then “Biodiversity – untouched forest vs. active forestry” by Professor in forestry Mr. Palle Madsen, University of Copenhagen introduced the topic.
Then the UEF members from Germany, Bulgaria, Italy, France, Czech republic, Finland, Poland, Switzerland and Sweden gave their answers and really interesting information to 3 crucial questions about this so up to date topic.

In the afternoon, the delegates attented the UEF Governing Council Metting.
A large overview about the UEF activities, the UEF participation in meetings on an European level, the UEF projects for the coming year was displayed to the delegates.
An election took place in order to elect a new vice president, due to the resignation for personnal reasons of Tomasz Marciewicz, representing SitLid and Poland.

Piotr Grygier, representing Poland and SitLid was elected.
OMO, the Turkish chamber of forest engineers applied to be a member of UEF. The Governing Council Meeting accepted OMO as a new full member of UEF. Welcome to our Turkish colleagues in UEF, represented by their president Ali Kucukaydin and Mevlut Duzgun!
Chris Christodoulou, Henrik Bach and Boris Gospodinov were awarded the UEF honirific diploma for more than 10 years in UEF meetings.

The President Michael Diemer gave the delegates some information about the next UEF elective Congress in Germany, at the end of September 2017. The Congress will be in Mainz, not far from Frankfurt.

On Saturday 24 September, a nice field tour to discover the Danish forestry was organized, includind the visit of Nature playground/Eco-base “Eghjorten” (Lucanus cervus), a Recreational forest, the museum of hunting and forestry in Denmark, the visit of the royal Danish Hermitage Hunting Lodge and a visit in Tisvilde Hegncoastal forest, which primarily where afforested in the 18th century because of sand drift, now a highly treasured periurban forest with woodchip production and recreational values.

A medieval banquet concluded the GCM at Esrum Mølle Abbey & Mill.

The President of UEF Michael Diemer and Henrik Bach the DSL chairman closed the GCM and warmly thanked all the members of the organisation comitee for this nice and perfetly organized Governing Council Meeting.

Hans Jacobs representig Germany and BDF was offered the UEF flag wich will fly in the German sky next year.

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