2b) Shepherd Bouffier with an iron bar and
acorns - oak forests bring new life to the Southern Alps
The beginning of shepherd Bouffier's tree planting:
Oaks on Mount Lure since 1910
From 1910 the shepherd Bouffier was planting the forest at
Mount Lure (1'34''). The highest point is Mount Ventoux,
where there was no forest and only grassland and heathland
(2'3'').
Map of High
Provence with Mount Lure (Montagne de Lure) -
grassland without forest on Mount Ventoux (mont
Ventoux) - heathland without forest in the Southern
Alps, Southern France
The villages in the Southern Alps were
lost and decayed, as the windy climate (with the Mistral
wind) without forest was unbearable (2'43''). There were
only flocks of sheep (3'26'') like those of shepherd
Bouffier (3'35''). He realized that the land would die
out completely without trees. That is why he collected
acorns and planted them with an iron bar which he had to
sharpen regularly (5'24'').
An abandoned,
decayed village in the Southern Alps, Southern
France - shepard Bouffier (film actor) with a flock
of sheep in the Southern Alps - A stone house in the
Southern Alps, Southern France
Acorns are sorted and placed in the
ground
He collected acorns, sorted them (4'38''), and kept
sharpening the blade of his iron bar (5'24'').
Bouffier planted land that just lay
there. Maybe it was common land, or it belonged to
people who had moved away (5'57'').
Bouffier (film actor) with the iron
rod and a sack of acorns on the way in the
Southern Alps 1,2,3
Bouffier put the acorns in the ground: he made a
hole about 5cm deep with his iron bar, put an acorn
into the hole and closed the hole with earth
(7'12'').
Bouffier makes a hole with his iron rod for an acorn
1.2 - acorns in a jute bag
Bouffier places an acorn into the
hole 1,2 - The hole with the acorn is closed with
soil
The new oak forest in the Southern Alps (or in
the Southern Alpes)
Bouffier said: Of 100,000 planted oaks, 20,000
(7,19'') had grown. Of the 20,000, another 10,000
would be lost through rodents and other events,
Bouffier (7-31'') said.
Beech in the oak forest
Bouffier also planted beech trees in the young oak
forests, which grow up under the protection of the oaks
(11'50''). A hot year once dried out all newly planted oak
shoots. However, Bouffier did not let this setback stop
him (12'15'').
Beeches in the oak forest 1,2,3
After a certain time shepherd Bouffier gave up his flock
of sheep because the sheep eat on the young trees.
Instead, he become a beekeeper with 100 bee colonies
(12'59'').
Bouffier becomes a beekeeper and
handles honeycombs - hives 1,2
Water, creeks, rivers, reconstruction of villages
Bouffier didn't care about wars, he continued to plant
trees daily also during First World War and Second World
War (13'38''). The springs, creeks and rivers came back,
villages were rebuilt and inhabited again (16'50''). The
Southern Alps [or the Southern Alps] were reforested with
pastures and fields (17'50'').
Willow with young trees in the
Southern Alps - Willow with wooded hill in the Southern
Alps 03
Bouffier became 89 years old and died in Banon hospital
(18'6'').
Banon is in the Southern Alps, look the
CIA
Wikipedia article about Banon.
Bouffier dies in Banon hospital in 1947 - the actor of
Bouffier in the film is Alfred Steigerwald
