If Peter Wohlleben had his way, he would have many more nature reserves just like his, in the Hümmel forest in Germany's Eifel region. Sadly, however, less than one thousandth of Germany's original old forests still remain today, the victims of logging or urban development.

The 49-year-old is trying to make a birch forest in Hümmel return to the state in which it was hundreds of years ago. For that, he's removing commercially planted spruce trees, and making sure that the forest remains untouched through a unique cemetery.

The trained forester doesn't just work in a nature friendly manner, he also writes books and gives talks on the importance of preserving Germany's old forests.