Challenges, motivations, and perspectives of practitioners on forest restoration across seven European countries

Forest restoration is crucial in addressing nature degradation, enhancing climate adaptation and mitigation, supporting ecosystem services, and reducing disaster risk. Understanding practitioners' perspectives is essential for identifying barriers to successful restoration and improving the effectiveness of future initiatives. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative data from seven practitioner workshops and quantitative data from an online survey conducted across seven European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, and Serbia). The survey included 110 respondents, while 203 practitioners participated in workshops. Their primary motivations for engaging in restoration included a desire for ecosystem stability and nature preservation, followed by knowledge acquisition, responsibility for environmental stewardship, and climate change mitigation. Despite these challenges, practitioners highlighted advances in monitoring technologies, the diversification of project objectives, and increased public engagement as positive developments. The study concludes that a collaborative approach-enhancing the involvement of practitioners in policymaking-is critical for future restoration success. Additionally, growing public interest in ecological restoration presents an opportunity for alternative funding sources, which could address financial constraints and strengthen restoration efforts across Europe.