Hey folks. Today I'll share a hike that we did in Germany as a team building exercise with my wifes expat coworkers. This was the last time that we were going to see each other before some of us headed back to Canada. We spent a low key weekend together and basically said our goodbyes.
As a group activity we did a three hour hike (give or take) in West Germany close to the town of Plettenberg. It was somewhat near the city of Cologne as a reference. There was nothing difficult about the hike, it was through the forest along some rolling hills.
This was back in September of year 2022 right around the time that Germany was going through their energy crisis and was basically clear cutting some of their forests for fuel to light their fires and keep their houses warm.
I remember driving into the area and being wonder struck seeing how some of the forests had been basically decimated. Whole hillsides had been clear cut in some areas.
I had been in the area once a few years before and remembered it being very green with trees so I spotted the stark difference right away. But it was dire times and people did what they had to do I suppose.
To make matters worse, at the same time a lot of the forests were experiencing some sort of disease or infestation that was also killing a lot of the healthy trees. It was sort of a double wammy as they say.
The industry was replanting trees for future generations, so that was a plus. They were forward thinking and planning for future generations. The Canadian forestry industry does the same thing in our Country as well. It clear cuts certain areas of forest and replants trees each year on a cycle. But of course it takes much longer for the trees to grow then it does to cut them and they aren't left alone for nearly as long as they once were before they are cut down again.
Certain varieties of trees that were well sought after aren't ever replenished either. I don't know if any of the old massive sequoia trees that were hundreds of years old even exist in BC anymore? Maybe there are a few that are still around but not like they once were.
Our German "guide" from the area informed us that traditionally the parcels of land that these forests belonged on were owned by regular average residents in the area and they were treated like an inheritance that were passed down through the generations.
Each generation would allow the forestry industry to cut down a portion of the trees on the land and they would take the proceeds as their monetary inheritance. They would replant the portion cut down and leave a portion of mature trees for the next generation to take from when it came their time.
This year was different though because of the energy issue and the disease/infestation that was taking place. I think most spots were clear cut leaving nothing for the next generation.
Anyway, we hiked the forest from one spot to another and made our way along the path to a pub restaurant to have lunch later in the day.
