Near Toulouse, a municipality is launching a crowdfunding campaign to create an urban micro-forest
“A fairly natural city”, but which lacks “islands of freshness and biodiversity in the municipal districts”. This is the observation made by Natacha Marchipont at The Independent Opinion, deputy of the town hall of Launaguet for the environment. Thanks to a call for projects from the Occitanie region, she launched the idea of setting up a micro-forest in the city’s Cherry Blossom Park. Entitled “A solution for the planet”, this project is part of the 2020-2026 municipal plan. To help with its creation, a crowdfunding campaign was launched on October 21.
“Revegetate” and create a space for “sharing”
This micro-forest should cover an area of 400m², i.e. 10% of the park. The goal is to plant 1000 trees. Walnut, lime, oak, maple or apple trees will coexist to create a real living space. “We did some soil analyzes, and it is very poor. There is no animal life, few grassy areas, and a lot of gravel. It’s very sad,” notes the elected official in charge of the project.
The stakes are therefore numerous. The town hall wants to create more green spaces, develop biodiversity and make the park attractive. “This park was created in 1982. It was intended to be a central area of the subdivision, with children’s games, pétanque. But the inhabitants only cross it,” explains the elected official. Before adding: “This micro-forest will give new life to this park, bringing nature and cultural activities. We will create a zone of sharing and exchange “.
The Miyawaki model
In addition to revegetating and making the park an attractive area, this micro-forest must also make it possible to reduce air pollution based on the Miyawaki model. This method, invented by a Japanese botanist, indeed allows “to store more CO2 than a conventional forest on a reduced surface”, details the press release. “This means that at a low density, the trees will help each other, and in three years, we will have the equivalent of a ten-year-old forest,” adds the elected official.
If the precursor of the method achieved it on a density of five trees per m², Natacha Marchipont admits “that here, the density will be lower, with two and a half trees per m²”. She adds that “the growth and development of plants will also depend heavily on soil preparation.”
A collective reflection
Beyond the environmental aspect, the elected representative also wishes to insist on collective reflection of the project. Subsidized by the Occitanie region via the Micro-Forêts collective up to 50%, the deputy admits that it is also possible thanks to the technical services and green spaces of the municipality. “If they didn’t believe in our project, we couldn’t do it,” she admits.
The participatory launch campaign launched on October 21 also reinforces the collective side of the project, according to her. “The donations of the inhabitants make it possible to perpetuate the forest. It will be necessary to maintain it, by delimiting it with a fence or indication panels for example”, details the elected. The campaign already seems to be bearing fruit: “more than 1300 euros were collected in two weeks”, according to the assistant.
Useful information
Inauguration and planting: from December 4 to 7, 2021
To participate in the fundraising campaign, go to here.