Zurück in die Zukunft» – Rolle und Bedeutung des Schweizerischen Forstvereins

Associations can be described as public goods and “schools of democracy”. They enable their members to participate in the political sphere and accomplish public tasks. Beyond this, we can view associations as a means for holding society together; they foster common values and norms as well as reduce societal insecurity. The Swiss Forestry Society, founded in 1843, has taken a supporting role in the landscape of associations in the 19th and early 20th century. However, since the 1990s, this association has faced declining membership, which raises questions about its role in today's political landscape, its meaning for its members and how it can adapt to societal change. In the context of the Swiss Forestry Society's 175th birthday, we addressed these questions by analysing historical documents and conducting interviews with members and experts. Responses show that the Swiss Forest Society plays an important role for current members' career as well as at the personal level in terms of solidarity in advocating for the forest. In contrast, former members say that the association is a club of ETH forest engineers which is neither well known publicly nor does enough for the forest itself. In terms of the future, the Swiss Forest Society faces the challenge to become interconnected across sectors. To address this, it will be key for the association to attract young, active members from different forest-related backgrounds who will engage in the association over the long-term and thus enable it to keep up with today's and tomorrow's (ever more digital) world.