This Saturday, November 23, the Métropole de Lyon distributed more than 2,000 trees free of charge to residents of individual homes. A successful initiative intended to revegetate the city via private spaces.
This Saturday, the Metropolis of Lyon met with Greater Lyon residents who own individual houses to offer them a tree. In the Parilly or Lacroix-Laval parks, 2,000 fruit or forest trees have been made available to residents. The conditions for being able to recover it? Have a full-length garden and have registered in advance on the Métropole website. Registrations took place in September 2024.
And this first edition is a success. From 9:30 a.m. this Saturday morning, registrants rushed to collect their tree. “We haven't had time to settle down since this morning, there are a lot of people“, confirmed to us an employee of the Parilly park, who volunteered this Saturday to advise and guide individuals in choosing the future tenant of their individual garden. “What works best in our area?”, “What requires the least maintenance?“, “How to properly water your tree?“, there are many questions from buyers.
Most of the Grands Lyonnais really needed help given the multitude of species on offer this morning at Parc de Parilly. Oaks, apple trees, pear trees, greengage trees, cherry trees… There was something for everyone and for all tastes. Mélissa, a resident of Vénissieux, came with her husband and two children. “I already have peaches and apricots in my garden, when I saw the ad I said to myself that one more was good, and the children like it“, she admits, before leaving with an apple tree.
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2,000 reservations in less than three days
Carried out for the very first time, the operation was a great success. “Of 2,000 trees proposed, registrations were complete in two and a half days“, indicates Philippe Moussière, deputy director of plant heritage at the Métropole de Lyon, who was also delighted with the dialogue created with residents during this initiative.
A small gesture for a great cause. “Faced with global warming, it is important to encourage individuals to plant trees to have more and more plant cover across the metropolis and thus provide shade.continues Philippe Moussière, who specifies that trees have a double advantage because they “sweat”. “Through the leaves, water is released into the air, which is why under a tree you get some freshness. It is important to have as wide a plant cover as possible.“Hence the importance of targeting private land, in addition to what is already done in public space.
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“Plant more and better“
“The goal is to plant more and better“, indicated the president of the Metropolis Bruno Bernard, present for the occasion. Nearly 56,000 trees were planted last winter, “this is 10 to 15 times more than what has been done over the last ten years“, he also recalled. And to plant better, the Metropolis targets private spaces. “It makes me happy to know that the inhabitants of the Metropolis will plant this tree this afternoon or tomorrow in their homes, often with their children, it will be a first for them and it is something important“, he stressed.
Another advantage of planting in private spaces: the lower cost of the operation. “In addition to increasing the volume, in terms of cost for public authorities it costs us less than planting in public space, which requires us to make holes in the bitumen and make certain heavy installations whereas here, that costs around 40 euros per tree and it is individuals who plant directly at their home“, adds the president of the Metropolis.
Will we see an action of the same type next year? The elected officials are optimistic. “We will see next year, we will first take stock“, concluded Bruno Bernard, visibly satisfied with this first edition.
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