Adapting Thuringia's Forests to Climate Change: A New Era
December 2025, 13:40
Female Forestry Leader Takes Charge: Corinna Geißler Appointed Managing Director of Thüringenforst
A fresh wind is blowing through the forestry sector in Thuringia. The state will welcome a new face to the Thuringian Forest Authority in January 2026, with Corinna Geißler taking up the role of board member. Her main mission: adapting the state's forests to climate change.
Geißler, a trained forester, will join forces with Jörn Ripken, heading Thuringia Forest together, replacing the retiring Volker Gebhardt. In an unprecedented move, Thuringia will be the first federal state to have a woman at the helm of its state forest by 2026.
Embracing Adversity: The Forester's Perspective
Geißler, currently leading the Forest Research and Competence Center in Gotha, expressed in a recent interview with our website THÜRINGEN, that the most critical challenge facing the head of Thuringia Forest lies in adapting the forest to climate change. She believes the forest, as it stands now, is a casualty of human actions, and raising this awareness could inspire a renewed commitment to conservation efforts.
Mastering Demographic Shifts
While climate change presents a significant challenge, Geißler also emphasizes the need to address the demographic change happening within the forest authority. Teams' structures and the required competencies are undergoing modifications, and ensuring each employee has a meaningful role will be a top priority for her tenure.
Thriving Forests in a Changing World
With 130,000 hectares of damaged forest in Thuringia's woods, Geißler expressed no fear, pledging to work alongside her colleagues in the new role to foster a vital forest for the future. The state's forests will be nurtured and developed with modern techniques that differ from 30 years ago, focusing on different plantation schedules, new soil amendments, and allowing for natural processes within the forest to take precedence. Consequently, Thuringia's forests will evolve to become more mixed, more youthful, and better structured in the coming years.
Meeting Shifting Climate Norms
The search results do not provide specific details about the strategies for adapting Thuringia's forests to climate change or Geißler's role in the process. However, the broader context indicates Germany's overall commitment to climate change adaptation and preparedness, with an extensive approach that likely includes strategies for forest management and adaptation. Notably, research emphasizes the value of biodiversity in mitigating climate change effects, further underscoring the significance of Geißler's role.
Stay tuned for more updates on Geißler's initiatives and the broader efforts being taken to ensure the long-term viability of Thuringia's forests.
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- In recognition of the critical roles science, health-and-wellness, and environmental science play in our rapidly changing world, Geißler vows to prioritize research and innovation as she prepares Thuringia's forests for the future.
- Embracing the interconnectedness of climate-change, health-and-wellness, and the environment, Geißler underscores the need for a holistic approach, incorporating modern techniques and adaptive management in her endeavor to safeguard Thuringia's forests for generations to come.
