Belgian climbers harvest larch cones to rebuild forests after record fires

In the Bois d'Hez forest south of Brussels, a group of professional climbers used a large slingshot device to secure ropes and climb larch trees, collecting cones for seed production. This operation comes after the country experienced one of its worst forest fires in August, which burned large areas of the Hautes Fagnes natural park. The harvested cones will be dried, processed by a large washing-like machine, and the seeds stored under cold conditions before being sold to public and private landowners.

The Department of Nature and Forests aims to diversify future forests with a mix of species such as larch, Douglas fir, alisier, sycamore and plane tree to improve ecological functions and resistance to climate stress. Experts note that Belgium's historically uniform spruce forests have become vulnerable to pests, disease and fire, prompting a shift toward more varied planting. The seed program is intended to help forests migrate naturally and better withstand ongoing warming.