Touscayrat solidarity tandem

For the second year running, Envol Vert has teamed up with the Lycée Agricole de Touscayrat to run an educational tandem solidarity project.
The aim was to raise the awareness of the second-year agricultural class to the challenges of deforestation around the world, and to explore possible actions to be implemented in nearby areas.

This tandem, combining theory and practice, gave rise to two field experiences.
The first took place in Mandy’s field in January, where the 19 students planted over a hundred fruit trees and improvers in a single day. They returned in May to observe their progress.
Thanks to a grid system, they were able to track the condition of the planted trees : topped ? nibbled by insects or mammals ?
If the results are anything to go by, they’ve done a good job : of the 145 trees planted, only one has been stripped by a deer, a few have attracted insects, but the majority are in good health and continuing to grow. These trees will soon be strong enough to support a sheep farm at their feet.

Between these two field sessions, Théophile and Noémie worked with their teacher Loïc Edline to teach 4 classes.
After studying the implications of deforestation, the students traced the chain of responsibility back to our supermarkets. This is where the Super Bosquet and the Forest Footprint come in , powerful teaching tools.
During imaginary shopping trips, each student was able to measure the impact of his or her consumption – real or fictitious – on deforestation.
And the experiment didn’t stop there : the students got into the game, hosting it at their school’s open days.

This new year of exchanges with students has enabled us to realize that the issues surrounding deforestation are now well known, particularly in emblematic places such as the Amazon or Indonesia, but that it’s often the exact causes and our involvement that are less obvious. Making this link helps students realize that they too are actors in the situation, and that they can do something about it.