“He was one of the reasons we decided to buy our house”. In the Châtaigneraie district, in La Celle-Saint-Cloud, Wiem is delighted. She and her partner Anis, recently settled in the town of Yvelines, live a few meters away the representative of Île-de-France in the “tree of the year 2021” competition.
The chestnut tree, some 330 years old, is the pride of the neighborhood. “I like its size, its presence … You could almost imagine little fairies flying underneath”, Wiem smiles. “We feel that it is firmly anchored in the ground, it is a return to the earth”, adds Anis. The couple obviously voted on the site dedicated to the competition, to put all the chances on the side of the Ile-de-France tree. He does for now the race in the lead with the representative of the Grand-Est, a gingko biloba planted in Strasbourg.
A 330 year old chestnut tree
Christine, who has lived in the neighborhood for twenty years, also considers that “for his beauty he should win”. This Celloise likes “observe the seasons” thanks to the chestnut tree, “the leaves that fall in the fall and the small green leaves in the spring. We are lucky to have such a beautiful tree in La Celle-Saint-Cloud!”, she rejoices.
This notice is shared by the municipality, starting with Jean-Christian Schnell, assistant for public space and the environment. “It is only a dozen meters high, but at least 18 meters wide with very impressive horizontal frames. Its other particularity is its trunk: it has a diameter of 1.40 meters and it is twisted, which gives an impression of strength and anchoring in the ground “, he explains.
But for La Celle-Saint-Cloud, this competition is part of a global reflection on the tree square in an urban setting. The mayor, Olivier Delaporte, explains: “We are committed to promoting the place of the tree in the city, which is not just an element of urban space. It is a living being that brings beauty, wonder, sensitivity to our fellow citizens. This also invites a real reflection on urbanization: the place of the tree must be absolutely respected. We must not only have injunctions in local town planning plans to replant trees. also leave them their natural place. “ The town has also organized its first “Tree Meetings” in October, and wishes repeat the experience every year.