A primary forest in Western Europe

In this new film, I take you to Montpellier to meet botanist Francis Hallé who explains his project to (re)create a forest in Western Europe. Primary forests have the particularity of never having been exploited by humans, or that a sufficiently time has elapsed to restore their primary character… 1000 years!

These forests are taller, more complex, richer in biodiversity and store more carbon than our French forests. To better understand what it is about, I take you to Bialowieza in Poland where the last primary forest in Europe is located, which despite its protection by the European Union, continues to be threatened. I will also take you to the Regional Natural Park of the Northern Vosges, as part of a scouting trip with Francis Hallé and the members of his association.

Over the past century, 80% of the planet’s primary forests have been cut down. If we do nothing, Europe risks being the first and only continent to no longer have primary forest. Beyond its environmental benefits, this project offers a tremendous opportunity to invent a new collective, ambitious and exciting story for the benefit of future generations.

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Thanks to Francis Hallé, Éric Fabre and Pierre Chatagnon for their warm welcome and their trust. Thanks to Yves Saint-Lary for creating this website.

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