Don’t tell his kids he doesn’t actually plant forests, they’ll be disappointed. They who thought they had understood their dad’s new job. Two years ago, Baptiste Trény, 39, “taken by the urgency to act in the face of the erosion of biodiversity”, left his position as asset manager at MAIF (not very concrete for his offspring) to launch Créateur de forêt, his company.
Objective: to bring new life to land that is fallow or unsuitable for agriculture belonging to rural communities by planting trees there, but also by developing meadows, groves, ponds, wetlands, etc. « Depending on the terrain, reforestation is not the only answer to rebuilding an ecosystemexplains the former executive. But it is the most visible part, the one on which it is easier to mobilize citizens, businesses and elected officials. »
In concrete terms, the company is approaching local authorities wishing to entrust it with the development free of charge. spaces where human intervention is useful to boost biodiversity, create ecological corridors, clean up the soil… To finance these missions, Baptiste Trény uses private funds in the form of sponsorship or crowdfunding. “Many small towns have neither the means nor the expertise on site to revegetate their plots. As a real estate developer would do, we find land, financing, and bring together several trades to build the project. “, explains the one who defines himself as “biodiversity promoter at the service of first-time ecologists”.
The municipalities retain ownership of their land but undertake for ninety-nine years to maintain the objectives of preserving biodiversity, thanks to a new legal mechanism – the real environmental obligation (ORE). “It’s the best way available to secure the plantations and be sure of a long-term commitment”assures the founder who, for the moment, does not get paid, but manages to pay a small team of three people.
Lowest impact
For five years, Créateur de forêt will maintain the planting areas, while nature takes on its own. At each stage of the project, Baptiste Trény, who admits to having no training in forestry, no extensive knowledge of botany or even agriculture, took care to surround himself with experts: ecologist, landscaper, farmers, naturalists… The choices plants, produced locally and adapted to the region and the consequences of global warming, as well as materials (chestnut stakes, organic linen mulch, etc.) and partnerships with agricultural schools in the region, want to promote an approach to low impact.
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