This year, too, the persistent drought and the lack of rainfall impressively demonstrate the consequences of climate change. Due to the extreme conditions, the spruce, the leading tree in our region, has hardly any resin left in it and can thus hardly defend itself against the increasing proliferation of the bark beetle. In our homeland, the Bergisches Land, the spruce forests have almost without exception died and have already been cleared over large areas. But where at first a trace of devastation remained after heavy timber harvesters struggled through the steep mountain slopes, the first green shoots are now appearing. It is just over a year since we planted over 12,000 trees in spring 2021 together with the Bergisches Land Forestry Association. The young Boker forest is growing visibly and the young trees have already more than doubled in size - safely protected by a fence from deer browsing and the churning up of the soil by wild boars. The mixed forest contains maple, beech and chestnut as well as the conifers Douglas fir, larch, coastal fir and silver fir.