đČ Once upon a time, nobles raced on horseback through forests so clean you could eat off the ground â so what happened? Todayâs woods are messy, overgrown, and nearly impossible to walk through. The reason lies in how we stopped needing forests â and how that changed everything. Curious why they used to be spotless? Full story in this article đ
According to recent data, one country currently leads the world in the amount of forest area, with nearly half of its land covered by trees. But such large forests need to be looked after. If they arenât, they quickly become overgrown, hard to walk through, and can even start to spread into nearby areas on their own.
Thatâs why the work of forestersâpeople who watch over and care for forestsâis still very important. We looked into why modern forests are now full of brush and fallen branches, even though in the past, they were clean and even used for horseback hunting.
Back in the days when forests were a main source of food, building wood, and firewood, they looked very different. In those times, it was common for nobles in Europe to go hunting on horseback through the woods. Books often describe scenes where hunters chased animals through open forest paths with packs of dogs.
This was possible because everyday people used the forest carefully. In the Middle Ages, peasants were only allowed to collect small branches and kindling for their firesâanything lying on the ground. Cutting down trees without permission was strictly banned. If someone tried, landowners would quickly send guards to stop them. So the forests were cleaned of anything that could get in the way of walking or riding.
Some peasants also kept nearby forests clean, but their winters were much harsher than in Europe. Because of the cold, landowners often allowed locals to collect firewood, but only under rules and sometimes for a fee. Forest managers would pick out trees that were old or growing too close together and mark them. Then villagers would cut them down and carry them away on their own. They didnât waste anythingânot even the branches or sawdust.
Thereâs even a scene like this in famous poem âA Man With a Leg,â where a boy is dragging kindling on a sled while his father chops firewood. But deeper forests, far from villages, were left untouched. Over time, they became full of fallen branches and dead trees, making them very hard to walk through.
After the revolution, people began to use other materials for heating and building, so they didnât need as much firewood. The work of foresters also changed. They mostly focused on clearing roads and stopping trees from growing in places they shouldnât. These days, people donât go to the forest to surviveâthey go there to relax, look for mushrooms, or hunt for fun.
