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Augustinian Canons' Monastery Vorau

As a member of the Agricultural Community (ARGE) Wechselforst, the Augustinian Monastery of Vorau is built on strong partnerships – creating a place full of life in its forests, characterized by sustainable management and rich biodiversity.

Project Infos

Project Area

3,014.5 ha

Location

Vorau, Steiermark

Project Start Date

January 2023

Project Time Span

30 years

Project Type

Improved Forest Management - Conservation

Project Developer

Tree.ly, Dornbirn

Verification Standard

SILVACONSULT® Forest Carbon Standard, ISO 14064-2

Project Volume

9,139 tCO₂/year

Risk Buffer Share

10%

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Rejuvenation of beech in old spruce stands

Members of the ARGE-Wechselforst

Thinning measures to promote the next forest generation

Created wetland biotope in the forest

Visitor guidance and support

Tree species trial area

Primeval forest area is secured by ARGE Wechselforst

Milestones

Project Timeline

Gain an insight into the most important milestones of this project.

04 September 2024

Forest audit

In summer 2024, the project was assessed by TÜV Austria as part of a one-day audit. The sustainable potential of the forest was discussed on site between the Augustinian Canons' Monastery in Vorau, TÜV Austria, and Tree.ly.

28.12.2023

Feasibility study finalised

The project options for the forest were determined through a feasibility study. The Augustinian Canons' Monastery in Vorau decided in favor of a conservation project lasting at least 30 years, during which carbon will be actively conserved in the forest.

Forest Climate Protection Project

A forest with unique features

The Augustinian Canons' Monastery of Vorau is a member of the Agrarian Community (ARGE) Wechselforst and manages its forest areas in close collaboration with other forestry enterprises in the region. This cooperation consolidates resources and expertise to promote sustainable forestry and effectively address shared challenges such as climate change and pest infestations. Like the other forests in the region, the forest is distinguished by its unique characteristics and diverse, natural structure.

Historical significance of forest utilisation

The forest areas of Augustinian Canons' Monastery Vorau were used intensively in the 18th and 19th centuries, including for the production of charcoal in the Festenburg district to supply glassworks and hammer mills. This intensive utilisation continued until around 1900, before sustainable forestry was introduced to ensure that wood would remain available for future generations.

Diverse tree species and ecological value

For example, around 20 different tree species were introduced in the Peggau district to increase biodiversity and enhance the forest’s color and diversity. This initiative helps the forest adapt to changing climatic conditions and promotes ecological values.

Involvement in educational and environmental projects

The forest is actively used for educational purposes by guiding regional school classes through its grounds. Additionally, efforts are made to show supporters of the forest climate protection project the areas and measures on site, in order to raise awareness about nature conservation.

Genuine

Meaningful actions with your money

The additional resources will ensure that the right measures can be taken for the forest to help it achieve climate stability.

Forest Restructuring

Monoculture stands are being converted into climate-resilient mixed forests.

Reforestation

Reforestation of former damaged areas is undertaken.

Regeneration

Measures such as browsing protection, regeneration promoting measures, etc.

Conservation

Biodiversity enhancement, deadwood, water protection.

Protection forest

Supporting the protective function of the forest against avalanches, landslides, etc.

Harvesting

More expensive timber harvesting due to difficult accessibility, support by costly technology like cable cranes, etc. is made possible.

Forest infrastructure

Accessibility and development of the forest is improved, thus enabling careful forest management.

Voices from the forest

The forest climate protection project enables us to finance the necessary silvicultural measures to make our forests more resilient and adaptable so that they can continue to fulfill their multifunctional roles even under rapidly changing environmental conditions.

DI Christoph Geier
Forest Manager of the Augustinian Canons' Monastery in Vorau

Problems

Insight Into the Challenges

To counteract the daily challenges in the forest and provide a solution to the diverse problems within this woodland, investments will be allocated towards the following issues.

Climate Change

Climate change is causing bark beetle infestation and drought, which threatens the stability of forest stands and makes forest restructuring urgently necessary.

Rising Costs

Increasing labour costs and falling timber prices are making it more difficult to finance the necessary measures to adapt the forest.

Extensive Maintenance Requirements

The stabilization and maintenance of newly planted, climate-resilient tree species require significant human and financial resources to ensure healthy stands in the long term.

ISO 14064-2:2019 based Methodology

Our projects utilise the "SILVACONSULT® Forest Carbon Standard" methodology in accordance with ISO 14064-2:2019, which ensures that companies use transparent and consistent methods to measure and report their emissions.

Externally Certified Projects

The validation of the project is carried out by an external certifier such as TÜV Austria. The annual monitoring by the certifier and the marketing and distribution of the verified climate protection services (VER) are then coordinated by Tree.ly.

Forest Climate Protection with Tree.ly

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