In December, the forests of Alsace, in France"s Grand Est region, wrap themselves in a veil of fog, as if nature were holding its breath before winter. Amid Scots pines and silver firs, the moss-covered ground muffles every step and the silence feels almost sacred. These woodlands, which cover nearly 40% of Alsace, shelter a rich biodiversity: roe deer, wild boar, black woodpeckers and sometimes the elusive lynx, which has returned after decades of absence.