This year, the planting of seedlings began earlier than usual. In the coming weeks, nearly 1,500 tree planters will be responsible for replenishing around 9,400 hectares of forests in various parts of the country.

The RMK grows all the seedlings destined for the forest itself, from seeds it has collected. The plants are cultivated in nurseries beforehand, which will help the forests grow faster. However, as logging volumes have decreased, fewer trees are being planted than in the past.

This spring, more than 8 million pine and spruce seedlings, more than 2.5 million birch seedlings and 800,000 alder seedlings will be planted in Estonia's state forests.

According to Indrek Karolin, the RMK's silviculture chief for the Southeastern region, 20 million seedlings are due to be planted this year. While still a large number, this is less than in previous years.

"This year, the RMK will plant a total of more than 20 million trees in the forest — a bit less compared to previous years," Karolin acknowledged.

"The majority will be conifers — pine and spruce," he noted. "And there will also be deciduous trees — we'll be planting slightly more birch and alder [this year] than in past years."

Spruce, birch and alder seedlings are among those grown at a nursery in Räpina, where there is a lot of pride in the high-quality seeds collected from seed trees, which later grow into strong trees.

"Behind me is a three-year-old spruce seedling, which we transplanted here in May 2023," said Valdur Paats, head of the Räpina nursery. "So it's been growing here for two seasons, and this spring, it will be given to the forest guys for planting."

In the village of Hatiku, near Põlva, Martin Marga is planting a new forest around his home. As a forester, he knows just how much effort it takes for small seedlings to grow into a new forest.

"This forest is my home forest," Marga said. "I know my way around here, I've foraged for mushrooms here, I've spent a lot of time here. But now it was cut down."

Planting a new forest, he added, is the least he can do.

"Right now, in spring, you can start picking morels here," Marga noted. "Next year, you'll come pick strawberries. It's actually a beautiful process."

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