Between January and April, four groups of 1st-year ESO students from IES Castilla in Soria visited Cesefor’s facilities to learn firsthand about efforts toward sustainable forest management and the future of beech wood.
The LIFE Haya – Hardwood For The Home Project focused on knowledge transfer and outreach to younger generations through a series of activities carried out during the first four-month period of 2026. A total of 80 students aged 12 to 13 ( accompanied by five teachers) visited the Cesefor facilities on four occasions: January 21, February 4 and 11, and April 14, 2026, respectively.
The initiative is part of an outreach and awareness campaign aimed at young people and children, one of the project’s networking and transferability initiatives.
During the event, the Cesefor team put together a varied and interactive program: themed workshops on “Close to Nature Silviculture,” a guided tour of the workshops, and an exhibition showcasing various wood products and their real-world applications.
One of the moments that most captured the students’ attention was the presentation on the LIFE projects, particularly LIFE Haya. Through an interactive activity, the students learned how this forest management model helps create forests that are more resilient to climate change and have greater biodiversity.
The presentation of the engineered wood products developed as part of the project—glued laminated beech and a cross-laminated panel made from a combination of beech and pine—also generated a great deal of interest. The students learned about the advantages of these materials in terms of sustainability, market diversification, and performance—structural, aesthetic, acoustic, and fire resistance.
Through initiatives like this, LIFE Haya demonstrates that a commitment to the forest begins long before one enters the workforce. Introducing young people to forestry is also a way to build the future that the forest needs.
