This year's Forest Week, which takes place between 25 and 31 May, focuses on careful management and respect for forest etiquette. During the coronavirus epidemic, visits to forests have increased, and the Slovenian Forest Service strives to draw attention to the issue of driving motor vehicles in the natural environment and respect for the rights of forest owners.

Let us manage forests with respect. Let us be aware that the intertwined forest and agricultural landscapes, the diversity of plant and animal species in forests, the outstanding characteristics of individual trees, renewable energy sources and raw materials, and the beneficial impact on the entire environment are only the most visible forest goods. What they mean to us is likely to be realised when forests and their benefits suddenly cease to exist in our environment.

Experts, together with forest owners, manage forests in a sustainable and multifunctional manner. Therefore, forests also offer opportunities for recreation, relaxation and other activities. Free access to forests is a cultural benefit of which we can be very proud in Slovenia. However, in forests, certain restrictions must also be taken into account, and above all, care must be taken, after visiting, to leave the forest as it was when we entered it.

Let us stick to the slogan of this year's Forest Week: "Taking care of Slovenia’s forests."

Another interesting fact: the third of ten lynxes, which will be settled in our forests within the framework of the international project Life Lynx, was released into the forest in the area of the municipality of Loški potok on Thursday. The lynx's name, Boris, was chosen by school children from Sodražica. Schools are also involved in the settlement of these animals; it is the young people who will be taking care of this big cat in our forests in the future.