- The meeting brought together consortium members from Spain, France and Portugal to advance common strategies for sustainable forest management
- The forests of Soria served as a setting for exchange and learning during this in-person gathering of the transnational initiative
The Forestry Association of Soria (ASFOSO) hosted the third partners’ meeting of the European project SocialForest, an Interreg SUDOE initiative that aims to promote sustainable and socially inclusive forest management in southwestern Europe. Together with eight other entities, ASFOSO is developing various lines of work within the project, ranging from digital tools to assess forest resilience to social innovation in rural areas.
Over two days, representatives from forestry organizations, research centers, and public administrations from Spain, France and Portugal met at ASFOSO’s headquarters to share progress and define the next steps of the project. The meeting combined technical sessions with a field visit, allowing participants to explore on site several examples of sustainable forest management practices and the rich diversity of forest ecosystems in the province of Soria.
Technical meetings and transnational collaboration
Throughout the sessions, several technical meetings focused on the Transnational Forest Strategy being developed under the SocialForest project. Consortium members discussed proposed management measures elaborated participatively in each country.
They also reviewed pilot actions underway in each territory and addressed aspects related to the replicability and sustainability of the project’s results, as well as the planning of upcoming communication and awareness-raising activities.
Field visit: the Soria forest as an open classroom
As host, ASFOSO organized a field trip through different forest areas in the province, showcasing practical examples of sustainable management and responsible use of resources. Consortium members were able to appreciate the diversity of forest types across Soria.
The itinerary included stops in La Cuenca — to visit a juniper forest managed for silvopastoral use, a traditional shepherd’s settlement, and the village itself, declared a Cultural Heritage Site (BIC); a truffle plantation to explore productive forest uses; Pinar Grande, where participants learned about good forest practices from the Provincial Head of Environment, José Antonio Lucas; Vinuesa, with a visit to the Forest Museum; and El Royo, where they discovered a community workshop producing forest-based products such as berries and mushrooms.
About SocialForest
SocialForest is a European project co-funded by the Interreg Programme through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), within the framework of Interreg SUDOE 2021–2027. It promotes sustainable forest management, social innovation, and local participation in the conservation of forests in southwestern Europe.
The consortium comprises partners from Spain, France and Portugal, working to strengthen the resilience of forest ecosystems to climate change and to foster new economic opportunities in rural areas.
It is made up of nine partners: Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia (Directorate-General for Natural Heritage and Climate Action); Associação para o Estudo e Defesa do Património Natural e Cultural do Concelho de Mértola; Universitat Politècnica de València (Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering); INRAE Centre Nouvelle-Aquitaine-Bordeaux (UMR 1391 ISPA); Asociación Forestal de Soria (ASFOSO); Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Laboratoire Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, UMR 5563); Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (Directorate-General for Natural and Biodiversity Resources); EDIA – Empresa de Desenvolvimento e Infra-estruturas do Alqueva; and Xylofutur.
Instagram (@socialforest_sudoe)