Silvester Boonen has a forestry background, holding a master's degree in engineering relating to environmental sciences at KULeuven with a thesis subject on the question of "Can Tree Species Composition Optimise the Carbon Storage in Forest Soils?".
He previously worked in forest enterprises and their management in Belgium and volunteered for Bos+ (NGO) relating to the promotion of the Pro Silva movement in the Flemish region (Belgium).
He has been working for EFI since 2023, started with a traineeship on the topic of the perception of forest owners to adapting forest management to a changing climate, and supported the conceptualisation of Climate -and Biodiversity Smart Forest Management. Current work revolves around the Integrative approach in forest management (IFM), knowledge transfer via marteloscopes and linked IPlus software (Integrate Network), mainly focusing on the science to forest practice interface.