“You shouldn't cut wood just any way and at any time,” smiles Alain Gillant. The latter owns 15 hectares of forest in Limogne-en-Quercy, in the Lot. A vocation found somewhat by chance for this former executive who spent his entire career at La Poste.
“I had my first contact with the forest in 1980. I accompanied my father-in-law to his plot. He did everything himself. He cut down the trees following a strategy that I did not notice and that I did not try to understand, sometimes large trees, sometimes small ones, while some were systematically spared. I never questioned him,” says Alain Gillant.
“I didn’t want to part with these family plots”
In the 1990s, his father-in-law died. The latter bequeaths his land to his two daughters, including Alain's wife. “Both told me: if you want to take care of it, go for it! So I took over. I didn't want to part with these family plots. It’s heritage,” admits the retiree, now 78 years old. “And in good shape for the vintage!” “, he jokes. So the Lotois finds itself with 15 hectares to manage. “I didn’t know anything about it, I really did anything,” regrets Alain. The latter then maintains the forest, but above all collects firewood for heating in winter. “As my father-in-law said, the wood reserve can be managed,” he remembers.
In 2015, a farmer asked him for authorization to graze his sheep on wooded plots. “He wanted to make a passage to plant the electric fence. But he couldn't do it because of the trees and the stone. So I motivated myself to do it with the chainsaw and the brush cutter. I became aware of all the mess there was on the plot,” explains the former executive. The latter takes a liking to woodworking, but does not follow any rules.
“Alone, I couldn’t do it”
The same year, Alain Gillant met a representative of the Regional Forest Property Center (CRPF) of Lot, Yann Clément. The latter operates free of charge on the scattered forest plot of Lotois. “He showed me all the mistakes I had made. Each time, he explained to me why,” says the owner. Alain begins to better understand how to better manage the forest and preserve it. And in 2018, it was there that he met the Cœur de forêt association, which helps owners of small forests understand the biodiversity of their woods and gives them the tools to manage them in a sustainable, diverse and fair.
The association's forestry technicians, like Anthony Cheval, the local coordinator, have come several times to the Lotois plots. “One day, they marveled at a line of trees coming down from a valley. They explained to me that being on the Causse, it was dry soil which was suitable for maples and downy oaks. But there, we were faced with ash trees which need water to develop. Which means there is hydraulic flow underneath. Gosh! », marvels Alain. The latter benefited from a property diagnosis. This allowed him to better understand the species he has on his property. Valuable knowledge that the former postman has gathered in a notebook that he maintains regularly.
The help provided by Cœur de forêt is precious and motivates the people of Lot to maintain and preserve their little piece of forest. The septuagenarian concludes: “This convinced me to develop the family plots, to protect them and to stop destroying them! Getting help from such an association is necessary because I couldn't do it alone. »
