Meudon forest, France, June 2023
In 2018, chestnut trees in the forests of the Île-de-France region were affected by a pathogen that causes a devastating disease known as chestnut blight. Caused by an organism present in soil water, it penetrates the tree’s root system and rapidly causes necrosis. The tree is then no longer able to obtain water and becomes highly vulnerable to drought. It can die in just a few days.
In this context, A Tree for You (ATFY) has been working alongside the French Forestry Office (ONF) since 2020. After supporting two projects in Montmorency forest, ATFY is now offering its donors the chance to support planting trees in Meudon forest.
The project aims to plant 2,000 trees of species more resilient to climate change, especially sessile oak, hornbeam, and Atlas cedar, on plots 55 and 56 in Meudon forest. This action will deliver the following benefits:
- recreate woodland cover more resilient to climate change, thanks to the selected species planted;
- protect the habitat for game, foxes and badgers, endemic birds like the woodcock, amphibians, and numerous species of beetles and lepidopterans. The forest is also home to the royal fern, protected because of its rarity;
- reconstitute rainwater filtration on a massif-wide scale and combat soil erosion;
- sequester carbon in the soil, branches, and trunks;
- produce timber from the forest over the next 160 years.
The project began in November 2022 with soil preparation. Teams from the ONF shredded the two plots to prepare the ground for planting. In February 2023, the technicians collected the seedlings and planted them. Over 2,000 seedlings were planted at the start of 2023, including:
- around 50% sessile oak
- around 15% hornbeam
- around 35% Atlas cedars
Protective fencing has been installed to protect the young trees from game. Maintenance and monitoring of the planted trees will now begin. The survival rate of the seedlings will be monitored at the beginning of 2024. Clearing away vegetation that could compete with tree growth will be done out if necessary.
Stay posted for more news from the field!
