Saint-Evarzec (3,500 inhabitants, near Quimper) is a town in South Finistère very focused on the environment.
In two years, she has planted more than 1,200 trees, taking advantage of the “500,000 trees” operation launched by the Departmental Council, which allows you to finance all or part of a tree, up to €50.
It has in fact become one of the most wooded communities of 3,500 inhabitants in the department!
These plantations have two objectives: ornamental and gourmet, depending on the variety of trees planted.
Ginkgo, also called the tree of forty crowns, or apple tree, each has its own uses.
Henri Mayeux, deputy for culture at the Saint-Evarzec municipal council, has always taken the environment to heart.
A scientist and knowledgeable amateur beekeeper, he has a “green thumb”, as he says with humor, not hesitating to share his knowledge of grafting, planting and vegetable gardening.
Also read: Can you plant a tree wherever you want in your garden?
With this in mind, he created two years ago with Yann Hubert, another elected official, the Nature et Patrimoine collective, made up of volunteers who do not hesitate to put their hands in the earth to clear the hiking trails and above all to plant trees. the neighborhoods of the town which had few or no trees at all.
“In each place, we try to bring biodiversity with flowers and small fruits.”
Do you know how to praline the roots?
“We have planted avenues of hawthorn, holly and elderberry in the town center, as well as near the Sports Hall.
Not only do these trees have landscaping interest, but they also help provide coolness in the event of a heatwave.
There is less maintenance of grassy areas and we preserve biodiversity.
We are also going to plant six cherry trees in a semi-arc like a Greek amphitheater.
» In addition, these trees will provide nesting areas that did not exist before, the site being inhospitable for birds in the region.
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Many fruit trees have also been planted.
As Henri Mayeux points out, “it's so much better to bite into an apple or eat a handful of raspberries that you've just picked while taking a walk.
It doesn’t have the same flavor.”
Since last year, real orchards have been planted in the town, with peach trees, apricot trees, apple trees, pear trees, walnut trees and hazelnut trees.
A real Prévert-style inventory.
Even the students of the Leonardo da Vinci public school have four pear trees and six palmette (candelabra) apple trees in the courtyard.
“These trees have great educational value.
I taught children and adults alike to plant trees without burying the crown.
They also discovered how to praline the roots.
It consists of mixing water, earth and cow dung and placing everything there at the root level like a wet gangue.”
The collective also organizes introductions to fruit tree grafting in collaboration with the Arborépom association in Arzano.
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Something new this year: the collective has ordered fruit bushes, in order to form hedges of blackcurrant, blueberry and raspberry bushes which will be freely accessible in schools and in the town.
“The goal is not to fill whole baskets to make jams but to taste some fruit while walking or to take a little to garnish your cottage cheese, for example.
And we hope that residents will also participate in the maintenance of these red fruit bushes.
» In addition to the taste side, these trees will also have a role in pollination by becoming an Eden for bees.
If the apple harvest is good this year, the plan is to offer the Food Bank apple juice which will be pressed either by volunteers or in a cider house.
Last year, the first apples were picked for the municipality's CCAS beneficiaries.
Henri Mayeux intends to continue planting trees in the common area and introduce as many residents as possible to grafting and other techniques, in particular how to use pruning shears.