Montredon-Labessonié, Tarn region of France, February 2025
Your commitment to reforestation and biodiversity is bearing fruit! In Montredon-Labessonnié, in the Tarn region of France, Chrystophe has undertaken an ambitious reforestation project on a 4.43-hectare plot of land, breathing new life into an area previously suffering from neglect. Thanks to you, this initiative is now blossoming into a veritable sanctuary for nature and local wildlife.
In 2013, after acquiring the plot, Chrystophe found the woodland was extremely closed in upon itself, limiting the development of biodiversity, especially bees.
He decided to take action by redesigning the site and diversifying the species growing there. With the help of A Tree for You, he planted in 2019, 2,800 trees including:
- 1,050 black alders,
- 1,550 black locust trees,
- 200 small-leaved lime trees.
In doing so, Chrystophe has succeeded in creating the right conditions for effective natural regeneration.
After six years, the results are already visible. On the first plot, protected from deer and regularly tended to safeguard growth, the lime trees are thriving. On the banks of a stream, the alders are playing an active role in natural regeneration, despite having had to cope with the vagaries of the weather, especially flooding that damaged some of them. Finally, an area with robinia trees, despite more irregular growth, is showing a good rate of recovery, thanks to replacements made with plants taken directly from the ground.
Chrystophe has adopted an ecosystem-friendly approach, favouring minimal maintenance and sustainable forest management. While the lime and alder trees will be preserved without direct harvesting, the locust trees will be used for controlled production. This management will not only ensure the long-term future of the project but also provide a valuable refuge for local wildlife.
Thanks to your support, Chrystophe has succeeded in transforming an enclosed, impoverished space into a vibrant ecosystem for biodiversity. Now drawing to an end, the project’s objectives have been met and some funding still remains, about 20% of the global budget. The latter will be used to support another project in France: agroforestry and permaculture planting in vineyards in the Ain region. Aurélien and Pierre, two winegrowers in the Ain, are increasingly feeling the impacts of extreme weather events like drought and frost. In response, they have decided to plant 1,510 trees in the middle of their vineyards to improve water cycle management and soil fertility in the face of climate change.
Hence your support will help two planting projects in France! Thank you all so much!
