Visiting the Aire St. Michel Planting Site

A visit to the Aire St. Michel planting site on October 29, 2025, offered a glimpse into the realities of reforestation efforts. The site, located in France, revealed a landscape shaped by both careful planning and environmental challenges. Maintenance activities, including mulching in advance, clearing, and improvements, had clearly been undertaken. At the same time, there were significant challenges, such as the problems caused by wild boars, and the effects of drought. The assessment of the planting indicated that only a portion of the trees had survived. Interestingly, certain species, specifically green oaks, appeared to experience a higher mortality rate than others. No signs of natural regeneration were observed during the visit, highlighting the site's reliance on active planting interventions.