On 2 December 2026, WaldBeiderBasel, the forest owners’ association of the cantons of Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft, will host its first regional event of the year at the Bürgersaal in Binningen. The evening will focus on a central question of the Small4Good project: what motivates small private forest owners to actively manage their forests?
Julia Müller from the University of Freiburg and Samuel Ringier from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) will present findings from Small4Good’s work in Living Lab Central. Their presentation will explore what drives forest owners to engage with their land, how passivity in forest ownership can be better understood, and what role forestry actors can play in supporting more active involvement.
The presentation will be followed by an open discussion with participants, including forest owners, forest enterprise managers and district forest engineers. Two questions will guide the exchange: how private forest owners can be better reached and encouraged to take an active role in the future, and to what extent the motivations and needs identified by Small4Good also apply to public forest owners such as civic communities (Bürgergemeinden). The discussion will also address the motivations of civic communities for forest management and their cooperation with private forest owners.
The programme will further include an update from WaldBeiderBasel on the impacts and challenges of the 2026 drought for forests, forest owners and forest enterprises, as well as information on the upcoming Waldtage 2027 from Dani Wenk of the organising committee. The evening will close with an apéro offered by the Bürgergemeinde Binningen, providing an opportunity for informal exchange and networking.
By bringing research findings directly into dialogue with local practitioners, the event offers a valuable opportunity to test and refine Small4Good’s insights in a real-world setting and to strengthen collaboration between private and public forest owners in the region. A second regional event, focusing on public outreach and forest education, will take place on 10 December in Lausen; participants are welcome to attend both.
For more information, click here.
