Forests from Above

AirVuz contributor Daniel Gavrilas returns to AirVuz after a multi-year hiatus with this fantastic droen video of Germany's Black Forest.  Situated in the state of Baden-Württemberg in the southwestern corner of the country, the Black Forest marks the divide between two of Europe's greatest river systems: the Rhine, which ultimately drains northwest into the Atlantic Ocean, and the Danube River, which drains to the Black Sea far to the southeast.  The video was filmed with a DJI Mavic Pro 2 drone.  

The Czech Republic is known in part for its dense forests, which cover much of the countryside.  This is particularly true in Bohemia, the country's western region and its historical core.  Goings on in these ancient forests (or myths thereof) have been the subject of children's fairytales for centuries.  In this video, top contributor Ludoweet flies a drone through one of these magical forests.  Shot at the outset of the fall season, the endless trees present as a brilliant mix of orange and green.    

The Forest of Dean is a wooded area in County Gloucester in southwestern England bounded by the Rivers Wye and Severn.  The iconic forest was the inspiration for J. R. R. Tolkien's forested Middle Earth worlds in his famed book series.  Some decades later, the forests here served as a filming location for Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015).  In this video by contributor Ro_jo Goes, you'll get a bird's eye view of this famed woods, courtesy of contributor and drone pilot Ro-Jo Goes.

Ireland was once a land of dense forests, which covered the entire island.  Human inhabitation has destroyed 99% of the island's forest cover, but the bits that remain continue to hold great appeal to natives and foreign visitors alike.  In this video, Ashville Aerial flies a drone through one of these (as the title suggests) mystical forests of the Emerald Isle.  The footage is absolutely mesmerizing; one practically expects a leprechaun to jump out from behind the trees at any moment. 

The Thetford Forest is one of the legendary woods of England.  It's located in the East Anglia region, covering portions of Counties Norfolk and Suffolk.  The forest covers about 200 square km (around 75 square mi.) and is the largest pine forest in the UK.  The area was set aside for preservation after (the timber-devouring) World War I.  The forest has held a number of legendary concerts, and it was used as a filming location for the wildly popular Dad's Army TV series in the late 1960's and 1970's.  

The Scandinavian and Russian Taiga is one of the great forest regions of Eurasia.  As the name suggests, it covers much of Scandinavia (particularly Sweden and Finland) most of the Baltic States, and much of European Russia.  Dominated by coniferous trees, it's the largest single eco-region in Europe.  In this drone video by ExclusiveLogin, you'll get an aerial view of the great forest in an area of Russia known as Rachev's Taiga.  It's located in the oblast (province) of Samara, part of the Volga Region.  

The New England in the northeastern United States is known for its brilliant colors in Autumn.  Among the states of the region, Vermont is the smallest but also is blessed with thick forests.  In this video, contributor Green Mountain Drone treats us to an aerial view of Fall in the state of Vermont with footage of Groton State Forest at Kettle Pond State Park, Boulder Beach State Park and Owl's Head State Park.  Famously, Vermont was the first state after the original 13 Colonies to join the United States.

Russia is home to about a quarter of the world's forested land.  While much of Russia's forests lie in its vast Siberian region, large stretches of the country's Central, Northwest, and Urals Federal Districts are also heavily forested.  In this drone video by romanblats, you'll get a great bird's eye view of a wintertime forest scene in the Ryazan Oblast southeast of Moscow.  The spot filmed is near the village of Kriusha, a bit east of the Oka River which marks the dividing line between the provinces forested and grassland halves.

For a first upload to AirVuz, brand-new contributor AlexanderPallis brings us this outstanding wintertime drone video from Austria.  The video was filmed near the town of Tullnerbach in the Vienna Woods, a forested area located a bit to the west of Vienna in the state of Lower Austria.  A popular getaway from Vienna, the region is part of the foothills of the Northern Limestone Alps.  The forest measures roughly 28 mi. long (around 45 km) by 12-19 mi. wide (about 20-30 km).  The video was shot with a DJI Air 2S drone.  

Northern Russia is home to some of the world's most iconic winter scenery. It's a land of vast pine forests, interspersed with thousands of lakes.  During the long winter months, these areas become enrobed in white, and the scene presented is hauntingly beautiful.  In this video by contributor Dronemedia, you'll get a bird's eye view of a forest in the depths of the frigid Russian winter.  The video was shot in Russia's Northwestern Federal District, one of the eight official regions of Russia.  

The French region of Brittany was once covered almost entirely by a dense forest.  Over the centuries, the ongoing march of civilization reduced a vast land of trees to a small area called the Forest of Brocéliande.  It's located around the village of Paimpont in Ille-et-Vilaine, the easternmost of the four Departments of Brittany and the only one not on the Breton Peninsula.  Sometimes called the Paimpont Forest, you can check it out from above in this fantastic drone video by AirVuz contributor and pilot Julien Hulen.

The celebration of the transitional colors of autumn is recognized differently in various parts of the world.  In Lapland, the northernmost region of Finland, this colorful seasonal transformation is described with its own word.  "Ruska" not only aptly describes these beautiful hues of fall, it's also the name of this remarkable video by top contributor Timoksanen.  His stunning use of DJI products like the Phantom 4 Pro, Mavic Pro, Ronin S, and OSMO+ created this stunning footage of this storied region north of the Arctic Circle.

With much of its land area covered in lakes and forests, the Baltic republic of Lithuania becomes a festival of colors during the Autumn season.  The country has about 3,000 lakes, many of which are surrounded by dense forests.  In this video, contributor and drone pilot VyGas created a marvelous aerial view of the country during the height of the Fall season.  Prepare to be amazed by the brilliance of the landscape, which in many respects resembles New England in the USA during the autumn season.

AirVuz contributor Kaosolsen created this stunning drone video of the vast forest area which surrounds Norway's capital city Oslo.  Sometimes called Marka, the area is a major recreational area for the residents of Oslo, the third-largest city in Scandinavia after Stockholm and Copenhagen.  Although the area is not formally part of Oslo, its use is heavily restricted by law.  As you'll see from the video, it's an area of almost fairy tale like beauty, endless expanses of trees and serene looking lakes.

The Baltic republic of Latvia has some of the most pronounced seasonal changes of any country, and each season produces its own unique sort of beauty.  In this drone video by Jurgis Kreilis / FilmDay, you'll get a bird's eye view of the Latvian landscapes as the country emerges from its long winter into a glorious spring.  At this time of year, its legendary forests begin to green up, and the morning mists which routinely blanket its vast low-lying flatlands, which are slowly being re-forested.  

Belarus is a landlocked and generally flat country.  More than anything, what distinguishes its landscape it its forests.  About 40% of the land area of the country is forested.  During its long winters, these forests become true winter-wonderlands, on a par with the best forests of Scandinavia.  In this drone video by FFly.Belarus, you'll get a bird's eye views of the country's endless forests in the dead of winter.  It was filmed near Mogilev (the country's third largest city) in its east-central region.

Contributor and drone pilot Faben Earth created this excellent bird's eye view of the Sam Houston National Forest near Houston, Texas.  While the Lone Star State isn't normally associated with forests, the fact is that forested areas abound in parts of eastern and southeastern Texas.  The Sam Houston National Forest was established to help protect one of these areas.  It's located about an hour drive north of Houston.  The forest is devoted to mixed use, and it hosts activities ranging from hiking to camping to hunting to boating.  

Mt. Hood National Forest is one of the natural treasures of the USA's Pacific Northwest.  It covers about 4.4k square km. (around 1.5k square mi.) of territory east of Portland, Oregon.  The forest includes Mt. Hood, a potentially active volcano which has a peak elevation of about 2.35k meters or around 7.7k ft.  About a third of the trees in the forest are considered "old growth".  The forest was used as a filming location for the 1952 movie Bend of the River, now considered one of the great Westerns.   

Check out this stunning drone video of a forest-encircled lake in Oregon, compliments of contributor shanestiles.  Lake of the Woods is located in Klamath County in the southern part of the Beaver State.  It's situated in the Fremont–Winema National Forest, in the heart of the Cascades Mountains range.  Though not particularly large, the lake is known for its fishing waters, and it's one of the most popular destinations in southern Oregon.  The video beautifully captures the lake on a misty morning.

Contributor and pilot Aerial Eye Visuals created this excellent drone video of a major outdoor recreational area in Western Canada.  Joffre Lakes Provincial Park is located near Pemberton in the southwestern corner of British Columbia.  The centerpiece of the park is three glacier fed lakes: Lower, Middle, and Upper Joffre Lakes.  Due to silting patterns, the waters of the lake are a distinctive torquoise color.  Opened in 1988, the park is one of the major outdoor attractions in the province of BC.

From the sunny beaches in southern California, to the wild, lush forests of northern Washington, nearly every mile of the USA's Pacific coast is worth a stop. Sfdrones takes several moments in Oregon and Washington to capture the beauty of winter clinging to the mountains and trees. The choice to edit the piece in black and white was a risk, but we believe it gives the viewer a sense of the beauty and stillness the pilot felt while taking in his surroundings. 

Check out Alaska's Tongass National Forest in this fantastic piece by AirVuz contributor and drone pilot Drone_Alaska. At 16.7 million acres, the Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the United States. Located in the southeastern part of the USA's 49th state, the forest encompasses the islands of the Alexander Archipelago, many fjords and glaciers, and the Coast Mountains. The area is a Pacific temperate rain forest WWF ecoregion with many endangered flora and fauna. 

The Republic of Karelia is one of the eleven Federal Subjects which make up Russia's Northwestern District.  Part of a historical region which also includes bits of Finnish territory, it's essentially the area between the White Sea and the Gulf of Finland.  In addition to being home to Europe's two largest lakes (Ladoga and Onega), Russian Karelia features thousands of square miles of pristine forests dotted with small lakes.  See the mist-covered Karelian countryside from above in this excellent piece from chill_side. 

The Middle Eastern nation of Lebanon has an association with cedar trees that goes back for eons.  The vast forest that once existed on the slopes of Mt. Lebanon was cited in numerous ancient texts and was one of the key sources for shipbuilding materials in the Mediterranean.  Long since depleted by logging, most of what remains of the ancient forest is confined to the Cedars of God  site near the town of Bsharri.  Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, you can check it out from above in this drone video by AirVuz contributor Christian Atallah.  

Check out this stunning drone video from the forests of Sweden, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot Mohammed's.  The video was filmed over Dalarna, a region of central Sweden which has a long western border with Norway.  Dalarna covers about 11k square mi. (almost 30k square km) of territory (roughly the land area of Denmark) and has only about a quarter of a million inhabitants.  The northern part of the province is covered by the heavily forested Scandinavian Mountains range.    

Contributor sepsigergo returns to AirVuz after a two year hiatus with this fantastic drone video of a well-known forest in Hungary.  The Gemnec Forest is located in the southern part of the country, just west of the Danube River on the Great Hungarian Plain.  The only remaining tidal area of the great waterway, the Gemnec is known for its unique mix of flora and fauna, including bird species such as herons, storks and mammals such as stags and boars.  The heart of the forest is located between the towns of between Szekszárd and Baja.  

Contributor TannerNG used a drone to tell the story of how deforestation is affecting landscapes in the  Ontario province of Canada.  It was filmed around the town of Dryden, which is in the far western part of the province.  The area is northwest of Lake Superior, not far from the western border with Manitoba.  The video shows how the logging and paper industries have cleared part of the area of its ancient forests.  It also shows the contrast with the area further north, which has been comparatively untouched.