The program is divided into three stages: a guided tour of the Forest Parts exhibition-workshop, followed by visits to a “natural” site and an industrial wood-processing site, the latter two chosen according to the geographical location of the participating school.
A “forest notebook” and complementary tools (collection box, magnifying glass, inkwell, etc.) accompany each stage, enabling pupils to acquire knowledge as the program progresses. At the end of the educational project, each class is invited to propose its own miniature presentation of tomorrow's Forêt des Landes, based on samples taken on site. These nine presentations will be exhibited in Nouvelles Saisons. Self-porrtaits of a territory in arc en rêve's main gallery.
Program details:
Visits to the forest of Philippe Videau, silviculturist in Hourtin, and to the Adam caisserie in Sainte-Hélène. Les Colombes elementary school, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle (Mme Loussouarn's CP-CE1 class and Mme Bordes-Malige's CE2 class).
Visits to Stéphanie Laffite's forest in Saucats and Labrousse's sawmill in Préchac. École élémentaire du Parc, Artigues-près-Bordeaux (Mme Salbaing's CM2 class), école élémentaire André Meunier, Bordeaux (M. Lavigne's CP class and Mme Camus's CE2 class).
Visits to the forest of Eric Castex, silviculturist in Moustey and the Scierie Girondine in Saint-Symphorien. Nathalie Constantini elementary school, Hostens (Mme Lorriot's CE1-CE2 class and Mme Jean's CE2-CM1 class).
Visits to Stéphanie Laffite's forest in Saucats and the Lamecol company in Canéjean. École élémentaire Joséphine Baker, Mérignac (Mme Margueray's CE2 class).
Visits to the INRAE experimental site in Cestas and the Lamecol company in Canéjean. Sousa Mendes elementary school, Bouscat (Mme Grenier's CM1-CM2 class).
About the host structures:
Philippe Videau's company provides forestry, silviculture and maintenance services. Based in Hourtin, in the heart of the Médoc, it works mainly in the Landes de Gascogne region for private forest owners, local authorities, forest operators, cooperatives and the Organisme National des Forêts.
After training in Fine Arts and Drama and 15 years in education and cultural activities, Stéphanie Lafitte turned to storytelling in 1990. Since then, she has been telling stories to all kinds of audiences (in libraries, theaters, day nurseries, schools, leisure centers and retirement homes), and since 1996 has been running the Caliconte association. Owner of a forest in the Landes de Gascogne, in Saucats, she organizes storytelling walks, weaving botany and imagination around oral traditions.
Éric Castex is a forest manager in the Landes region of France, and works with the Pro Silva method, a form of “garden forest” silviculture in irregular high forest, maintained over time to guarantee mixed stands of species and age classes. Based in Moustey, he works throughout the Landes forest. Founder of the Alter Landes association, he passes on his knowledge through walks, workshops and even a festival.
Scientists at INRAE (Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement) are studying the effects of climate change and its hazards (fires, storms, parasites) on forests, particularly those of the Landes de Gascogne. Researchers are exploring ways of designing tomorrow's forest, using different tree species and different harvesting methods. In Cestas, they have been working on these issues since 2011, using a 400-hectare wooded area where they plant trees and mix species to assess which ones grow - and will grow - best in the Landes de Gascogne.
Founded in 1947, Scierie Labrousse is a lumber sawmill offering raw or planed products from the Landes de Gascogne forest massif, working mainly with maritime pine. Founded by a family of carpenter-sawyers, the company sells construction wood (framing, battens, cladding), packaging wood (boards, formwork, rafters) and wood for landscaping (joinery, half-timbered battens, decking, landscape sleepers).
Since 2015, Adam's caisserie has been located on a 10,000 sq.m site in Sainte-Hélène. From small series to large-scale production, it designs different types of products from 85% locally sourced wood (less than 400 km from the plant). The company develops ergonomic packaging and customized products for the wine and spirits, food, cosmetics, leisure, tableware and fashion sectors.
Founded in 1975 and acquired by the DL Group in 2010, Lamecol designs building systems using local, bio-sourced resources. The company develops traditional, glued-laminated timber and mixed wood-metal structures; facades and timber frames; CLT (Cross-Laminated Timber) walls and floors; and straw constructions.