Bezange-la-Petite, France
Agora Forest
Reviving a pocket in a vast sea of agriculture
Agora Forest is a project in collaboration with the village of Bezange-la-Petite. It is the culmination of the local community's efforts to revive a pocket of land that has become a biodiversity desert and also to create a space that can be enjoyed together, bolstering community bonds.
Many of the villagers have memories of abundant frogs and grasshoppers, which are now rarely seen in the area. Agora Forest will restore these memories and make them a reality.
The unloved site in question is surrounded by intensively-managed, agricultural land and as such, will be an important pocket where wildlife can thrive once again.
Agora Forest will be a vibrant community hub; including pathways and seating areas so that locals, young and old, can socialise, learn and enjoy the restorative benefits of nature. Moreover, the planting itself will engage with villagers of all ages, including local school children.
Agora Forest aims to set an example for other communities in the region, both urban and rural, highlighting the immense environmental, health, social and wellbeing benefits of such a project.
Forest Maker Nicolas de Brabandère
4,500
TREES
1,500
SQUARE METERS
25
NATIVE SPECIES
Forest Partner
“We love this place because it's the last piece of nature we have left in a vast sea of intensive agriculture.”
— Local Citizen, Bezange-la-Petite
Forest Report: Planting
DATE: 01.12.2022
“I remember as a child…there was the sound of birdsong, we would be surrounded by butterflies and the beautiful smell of the countryside. You could find frogs under the straw. Now we have none of this.”
— Hervé Seve, Mayor of Bezange-la-Petite
Forest Design
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