A forest of 300 trees planted in a northern school

• The Marcel-Detaille school in Wasquehal, near Lille, will host an urban mini-forest inspired by the method of the Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki.
• About 300 young trees and shrubs will be planted in early March by a young northern company, on a strip of land of 100 m².
• The site, estimated at 7,000 euros, must be fully funded by a sponsor.

Oak, linden, hornbeam, buckthorn, hazel or mountain ash. Trees and shrubs will soon have no secrets for the pupils of the Marcelle-Detaille elementary school, in Wasquehal, in the North. The courtyard of their school will host the first urban forest established by Beeforest, on the model created by Akira Miyawaki.

What is this concept developed by the Japanese botanist? “It is a question of recreating a forest island which is inspired by natural forests of the region. You don't plant trees just to plant trees, ”explains Matthieu Verspieren, who has just started his company after seventeen years in the fruit and vegetable business.

Three trees and shrubs per square meter

Based in Fournes-en-Weppes, the quadra converted into the urban forest was formed in Belgium. And for his first project, he will be inspired by a small plot of the neighboring forest, in Raismes, in the Valenciennois, which he will try to duplicate in the courtyard of the Marcelle-Detaille school, in Wasquehal.

Quickly convinced, the municipality of the Lille metropolis indeed granted him a strip of land of 100 m² as a playground, between the school and the technical services of the city. "This is the type of initiative to develop, even more in a school," says one in town hall. The goal is also to set an example and encourage neighboring businesses to do so on private land. "

In early March, at the end of winter, no less than 300 very young trees and shrubs (one year old) in clods, measuring 20 to 40 cm, will be randomly planted by volunteers. And that after one or two days to prepare a ground turned over in depth by the technical services, then amended with organic compost.

In search of land but also of patrons

If he has left supermarkets, the Northerner guarantees after-sales service for two summers, long enough to ensure the sustainability of the forest. "Then we will let nature do it, it is not a forest for making boards ..." A growth of one meter per year is hoped and the forest should benefit children in the context of educational content, in addition to cleaning up the atmosphere and improve the view.

The Nordiste has other tracks in the Lille metropolis and in Alsace. He prospects in search of land but also of people ready to inject money into this kind of project. The Wasquehal site, estimated at 7,000 euros, should also be financed by a sponsor.

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