A Child of the Forest – Heinrich Cotta’s Legacy

October 30, 1763

It was on this day that Heinrich Cotta [HINE-rick COT-ah] was born beneath the open sky of Kleine Zillbach [KLINE-eh TSIL-bock], Germany.

His personal account of his origin story reads like a verse from a woodland poem:

I am a child of the forest; no roof covers the spot where I was born.

Old oaks and beeches shade its solitude and grass grows upon it.

The first song I heard was of the birds of the forest.

My first surroundings were trees.

This poetic beginning would shape the future of modern forestry.

Cotta emphasized the practical application of forestry knowledge, managing vast tracts of state forest to implement his teachings.

He transformed the practice of simple timber production into a true scientific discipline. In 1811, he established the Royal Saxon Academy of Forestry in Tharandt [TAR-ant], near Dresden, creating what would become one of Europe's most prestigious forestry schools.

The academy's forest garden, still thriving today, became both a classroom and laboratory for generations of forestry students.

Cotta was highly respected for his character traits, including kindness, modesty, and a fair judgment of others.

What makes Cotta's story particularly touching is the memorial his students created.

When he died in 1844, they cleared a square around his favorite spot in the forest. In the center, the stones represent all the different types of rocks from the forest: claystone, sandstone, greenstone, basalt, and pitchstone, to name a few.

A cast-iron plate with this inscription marked the spot:

Eighty oaks were planted here Heinrich Cotta 80th birthday. 
They are living signs of his teaching and characters, both were magnificent!

The Cotta Oaks now nearly 180 years old, stand as a testament to sustainable forestry practices and the deep connection between teacher and student.

Incidentally, each student placed a marker by the individual oak they planted so that they could continue to check on their particular planting and make sure that it continued to thrive.

Cotta's wisdom still resonates with modern gardeners.

In 1816, he observed:

Three principal causes exist why forestry is still so backward:

first, the long time which wood needs for its development;

second, the great variety of sites on which it grows;

thirdly, the fact that the forester who practices much writes but little, and he who writes much practices but little.

Today, as we face climate change and deforestation challenges, Cotta's systematic approach to forest management and his emphasis on long-term thinking feel more relevant than ever.

His legacy reminds us that whether we're tending a small garden or managing vast forests, we're all stewards of something greater than ourselves.