in Gironde, the forest of La Teste-de-Buch is regenerating

After a scorching summer, the forest of La Teste-de-Buch, in Gironde, still bears the scars of the fires that affected it. 2,000 years old, the estate stretches over more than 15 kilometers, facing the sea. Last July, the flames ravaged more than 7,000 hectares of forest. Firefighters fought​, for days​, to circumscribe the second most important focus in Gironde after that of Landiras.

Today, this forest is being cared for. The officers of the ONF (National Forestry Office) take care of it and are responsible for selecting the most fragile trees. “Here, we make the choice of natural regeneration, we want to renew the stand from existing stands, and not to plant. So our bet is that any tree that we think can survive the passage of fire, we will keep it and it will contribute to renewing the forest.“, explains Yann Rolland, head of the wood service at the ONF.