Combating deforestation in threatened areas

Dear Difteur-ses,

In France, 75% of forests are privately owned. Yet 90% of forest owners own less than 10 hectares, often inherited from previous generations. Geographical remoteness, the loss of family links with the land and the absence of transmission of a forestry culture frequently lead to the abandonment of these woods.

At the same time, industrialization of the timber industry is undermining local know-how. It favors intensive logging to the detriment of artisanal, sustainable practices. As a result, owners of small forests are struggling to find human accompaniment, adapted to the reality of their plots.

Faced with this observation, we are taking action for sustainable, equitable and viable management of French forests. We help owners to gain a better understanding of the biodiversity of their woodlands, to manage their forest in a respectful way, and to add local value to the wood from their plot.

Our 4 priority areas of intervention on the project:

- Gain a better understanding of forest ecosystems before taking action.

- Write adapted management plans and encourage transmission.

- Birds, real allies in forest regeneration.

- Support gentle, local valuation of wood.

Dear Difteur-ses,

🐤 The Oak Mayfly is now on the ESOD list (species likely to cause damage), making it huntable in many French departments.

However, far from being a simple "crop raider", it is often nicknamed by foresters "the forest planter". By dispersing acorns over long distances, it actively contributes to the natural regeneration of forests and their genetic diversity.

Each year, a jay scatters an average of 4,600 acorns, thus participating in the birth of tomorrow's oaks. Indeed, this bird hides acorns to build up food reserves, but forgets some of them, allowing some to germinate and give birth to new trees.

As part of our project in France, we will be experimenting with the dispersal of acorns from oak trees locally selected for the resilience of their parents. The aim is to favor the natural growth of healthy young oaks, carriers of a quality genetic heritage, thanks to the discreet but effective work of the jay.

A grand merci à vous for your support!

Dear donors,

At Coeur de Forêt, we're fighting to save a global treasure: Madagascar's forests.

And it's fair to say that the stakes are high:

Madagascar has seen 44% of its forests disappear in 70 years, a loss that threatens not only the unique habitat of the island's endemic species, but also the survival of its inhabitants. In 2020, the country passed the 81% of people living below the poverty line. The very ability of forests to regenerate naturally is under threat. 🌳

We've been working in Madagascar since 2010 to preserve and restore forest ecosystems and improve living conditions for local populations. 🌱

On this project, we are carrying out activities to meet athreefold objective:

So many actions that we've been carrying out for nearly 15 years on the island, and which are bearing fruit!

A big thank you to you, dear difteurs, for your invaluable support and donations ✨

Dear difteurs,

At Cœur de Forêt, we're joining forces to face up to a major challenge: the threat to our French forests. With little diversification of tree species planted and a worrying rejuvenation of stands, the consequences are clear. Our forests are less resilient in the face of climate change, disease and bad weather!

Moreover, the remoteness of families and the lack of transmission of a forestry culture, often lead to the neglect of the forest. Faced with the loss of know-how and the relocation of small forest trades, families often find it hard to find a suitable, human-scale advisory service to support them.

Faced with this reality, we are taking action for the sustainable management of French forests. We help owners of small forests to understand the biodiversity of their woods. We provide the means to manage their woods sustainably, equitably and viably. We champion a diverse, resilient and healthy forest.

Our ambition? To preserve and develop the French forest to meet society's needs without compromising those of future generations. Because the state of our forests tomorrow will reflect our ability to sustainably manage, today, this precious natural resource that is wood.

For nearly 20 years, the association has been working for greater environmental justice, including the partner populations of our projects. We are proud to see the results and their contributions encouraging awareness of the importance of forests and the need to protect them.
In 2023, Coeur de Forêt planted 670,000 trees of 223 different species, and 12,876 faces carried our values. 
More than 11,000 people (adults/children) were made aware of climate issues and forest preservation. By 2023, we had helped 1,451 producers and forest owners make the ecological transition to sustainable forestry.
A huge thank you to all those who support our actions!

Link to download the 2023 Activity Report: https://bit.ly/4cs4RTM

Meet four nurserymen trained and accompanied on our project in Madagascar. In 2 minutes, they share with you their strong attachment to the reforestation of their island.

An immersion to understand the rapid impact of our reforestation strategies: the planting models with the integration of a diversity of tree species, the benefits of the nursery profession for the populations and the improvement of the landscape that these beneficiaries instill around them. 
You'll see, the number of trees planted on the counter of these four people is already impressive. And they want to go even further!

The 2024 winter season proved a challenging one, not least because of our dependence on the weather. Abundant rainfall, punctuated by brief periods of cold, but remarkably mild weather, made it more complex to carry out our planned work. Although rainfall is essential, its abundance has sometimes necessitated the postponement of certain cuttings and plantings to preserve soil integrity. Despite these obstacles, our team remains determined to complete our missions.
 
The winter season was marked by the completion of several important projects. Notably, we planted 23,300 trees at 30 forest owners' sites, in a variety of contexts such as agricultural land or reforestation areas.
We undertook improvement work on 18 hectares of woodland, providing a much-needed boost to the move towards continuous-canopy mixed silviculture, following the adage of the experts who conceptualized it: "Copy nature, hasten her work". We also supported 8 forest owners in their silvicultural approaches, in collaboration with 6 local contractors. 

As we enter 2024, it's time to take stock and look back at our 2023 achievements! 🌟
More than 630,000 trees planted across all our projects, favoring endemic and diverse species that will ensure the health of our forest ecosystems.

Nearly 335 new producers internationally, and 50 additional forest owners supported in France, to pass on the keys to reasoned farming and forest management. 

More than 6,000 people(adults/children) on our projects have been sensitized to climate issues, and more specifically to forest preservation and the fight against deforestation.
In order to improve and evaluate our methods of action, we carry out field studies and diagnoses. For example, we carried out 1 forestry and agrarian diagnostic on our project in Indonesia, and 1 awareness-raising diagnostic on our project in Bolivia. On our France Sud-Ouest project, we carried out 50 forestry diagnoses with 50 families of forest owners, as well as 16 complementary diagnoses on assisted natural regeneration, agroforestry, biodiversity and phytosociology.
Finally, we've stepped up our focus on the gender factor in our projects. In Madagascar, the cooperatives we support in their ecological transition are50% women. This is also the case on our project in Bolivia, where we are participating in the economic emancipation of women through the development of beekeeping and meliponiculture.
All this is partly thanks to you, so thank you!

Historically neglected in favor of traditional beekeeping, meliponiculture is today becoming a cash activity that enables populations to diversify their production and meet the increasing local demand. And unlike traditional beekeeping, meliponiculture is one of the main women's activities in Bolivian communities.   
For lack of training and hives, this production did not emerge spontaneously in Coroico and Coripata. So it was quite naturally, and in response to the needs of local populations, that we initiated this activity nearly two years ago on our Bolivia project. In record time, several women joined our meliponiculture training program.  
 

But then, what are the benefits of this activity for Bolivian women?  
- Economic emancipation;
- Bringing women together in the public space;
- The evolution of women's social position within the community.
At Coeur de Forêt, we integrate the issues of women's economic and social emancipation into the projects we run. Because environmental protection must be carried out collectively, by men as much as by women, to fight together against climate and environmental disruption.  

The 2022 annual reports for our projects are out! Trace our progress over the past year in the field, and together, let's take stock of how far we still have to go. To discover the Bolivia project's annual report, click here 👉 https://bit.ly/3JRsaKm.

In the Bolivian Yungas, we are reforesting in 3 municipalities, those of Coripata, Coroico and Caranavi! Last month, we reforested an area north of the Yungas, in Coripata, in collaboration with the "Santiago 7 Iomas" community. We mobilized 85 people to plant 2,000 trees of 11 different species. These include Bucaré (Erythrina crista-galli), Sapwood (Handroanthus impetiginosus) and Mayflowers (Cattleya trianae).