The European Network of Forest Extension Organisations (FOREXT) was officially launched on 1 October 2019. However, joint activities and planning started already in 2017.
We aim to help our members to build their capacities in training and education of private forest owners, by supporting the development of their associations, inventorying and marking of private forests, preparation of forest management plans for private forests, enforcement of forest legislation in private forests, providing subsidies for more sustainable forest management, organizing sale of wood from private forests, capacity building for private forestry, etc.
We bring the network together twice a year to discuss our work and to learn from one another. In 2018 we met in Bonn, Germany and in Bilbao, Spain. In 2019, the meetings were held in Montpellier, France and Helsinki, Finland. Due to COVID-19, we met online in 2020 and 2021. In April 2022 the meeting was held in Oslo, Norway and in October 2022 in Carlow, Ireland. In May 2023, the network welcomed its members and observers in Prague, Czech Republic, where new members joined the network.
The network met in Carlow, Ireland in October 2022.