At first glance, he doesn’t have the head for the job. Françoise Sistel, 66, is a thin, gray-haired retiree who came in search of peace and quiet to Provins, in Seine-et-Marne. Although the climate catastrophe and the collapse of biodiversity awaken fear and guilt in him, he has never participated in a mobilization or joined an organization. Today, however, this former police officer does not rule out chaining herself to one of the trees in her town. “Can you imagine the impact it would have in terms of image? I’m a frail old woman… They woke me up, now I’m not going to sleep again, He said with his calm voice.
The detonator appeared in his mailbox. In June he discovered the project of “requalification” From the green belt, a long promenade lined with lime trees, ash trees, elms and hornbeams, lined up like a single man. The plan provides for the creation of a two-way cycle path, the redevelopment of banks and the redevelopment of a former horticultural garden. In a box, a clarification: 67 “degraded subjects” will be cut down and 161 replanted. “The felled trees were the first thing that struck me, remembers Françoise Sistel. I said to myself, am I the one who is derailing or is it normal for me to rebel against this? If trees are degraded, we must be able to prove it. »
Helped by a friend and one of her daughters, she distributed leaflets and launched a petition. He makes an appointment at the town hall, calls the deputies and senators in his constituency and joins the National Tree Protection Group, which provides him with support and advice. He’s even considering dipping into his savings to pay a lawyer and file a lawsuit.
“Squirrels” against the A69
Provins, but also Le Mans, Houilles (Yvelines), Vincennes (Val-de-Marne), Rueil-Malmaison (Hauts-de-Seine), Melun, Rennes, Lannion (Côtes-d’Armor)… Everywhere, the inhabitants They oppose the cutting down of plane trees or oak trees near their homes. Whether it’s a few or dozens. Between Toulouse and Castres, in the Tarn, “squirrels” perched on large trees along the route of the controversial A69 motorway tried to prevent its destruction, in vain. The last ones were “shot down” on September 18 by the gendarmerie. In the same way, protests against logging are increasing in the forests.
These local mobilizations are one of the thousands of signs that attest to an underlying trend: an increasingly strong concern, on the part of society, for trees and forests. A passion, sometimes overflowing, that seems to cover very wide and is expressed in multiple ways. In cities and towns, groups of citizens are created to jointly buy or manage forests. Forest therapy, climbing and arborism activities are being developed. Cabins in the forest attract more and more tourists. In bookstores, children’s books, novels and essays dedicated to trees flood the shelves.
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