Ancient Woods Foundation: Buying Back Lithuania's Last Old-Growth Forests

Founded in January 2020 by the filmmakers and technologists behind the documentary 'Sengirė,' with half its founding capital drawn from the film's proceeds, the Ancient Woods Foundation identifies Lithuania's most biologically valuable old-growth forest plots using more than 50 scientific criteria and buys them outright to remove them permanently from logging. As of December 2025 it has protected 356 hectares across 37 forest plots, including large acquisitions in Molėtai district and inside Trakai Historical National Park. Because roughly 80% of Lithuania's old-growth forest has already disappeared, the foundation is working toward an intermediate goal of protecting 2,500 hectares. Conservationist Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas became the foundation's patron in November 2021.