Who said that the outskirts of Paris lacked nature? Since 2019, a vast reforestation project has been taking place in the shadows, without anyone really knowing about it. About 25 km from the capital, in the Val-d’Oise department, the largest forest ever planted in Île-de-France is growing peacefully. Every day, more than 1,000 trees are planted there, expanding the canopy. The goal? To extend this green lung across seven municipalities. It’s a crazy project, the likes of which haven’t been seen in nearly 400 years.
The largest forest in Île-de-France is located 20 km from Paris.
The Maubuisson forest is one of the most important projects in Val-d’Oise. Within three years, this immense forest will exceed one million planted trees. Although it is not necessarily well known to the general public, it is nonetheless very important for the region. It will eventually cover 1,300 hectares and seven municipalities, from the Seine to the Oise.
Located on the Pierrelaye plain, which has long been contaminated by market gardening and heavy metals, this forest, composed of around thirty resistant species, seemed to be the most logical solution for decontaminating the soil and preserving a healthy environment for future generations. This unique green space will also allow biodiversity to flourish . Finally, a forest of this scale will be more than ever an asset in combating air pollution and providing fresher air during hot weather and heat waves…
It will take between 30 and 50 years for the forest to reach maturity … But visits will be organized throughout its growth to discover this fabulous territory. As a reminder, France has not seen such a large-scale forest creation project in 400 years, since the time when Colbert worked to reforest the country, notably with the immense Landes forest in the southwest.