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Julie Bressot
World Environment Day 2024 focuses on ecosystem restoration, a crucial endeavor to ensure a sustainable future for our planet. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification pointed out that 40% of the world’s lands are damaged. Even at our small level, we at Nutchel are trying our best to ensure that we are limiting as much our impact on our lands as possible, through restorative actions on the long term.
You may not know it but one of Nutchel’s missions is to take lands damaged by tourism activities and turn them into greener and more economically active places. Prior to the opening of Nutchel Les Ardennes in June 2020, our forest village had been deserted by a former camping for almost 30 years. The land had been left damaged by the former activities and time. For Nutchel Alsace, we arrived on a old holiday park which had been closed for 10 years, with bungalows and a lot of concrete grounds. Walls were full of asbestos, which we proceed in removing and recycling before any demolition started. But we bet on this lands to because we see their potential to be loved by clients, because they are located in amazing areas, surrounded with beautiful nature and rich cultural heritage.
In an effort to restore natural ecosystems of both our forest villages, we have replaced concrete surfaces in its domains with local gravel and grass. This transition helps in reducing the urban heat island effect, allowing the soil to breathe and promoting the natural growth of vegetation. Such measures are essential for restoring natural water cycles and improving soil health. From grey grounds, we have now achieved to bring back green and brown on the grounds. And even under our tiny houses, as they are all placed on steel poles instead of having standard foundations.
After allowing the soil to breathe, one of Nutchel’s key commitments is to give back to nature by reinvesting 15% of our revenue into our local reforestation project. This has resulted in the planting of over 3,500 locally sourced plants, trees, and shrubs in our Ardennes forest village, and more than 4,000 in the Alsace one. This initiative not only restores local flora but also enhances biodiversity, providing habitats for various wildlife species.
Now that we have recreated a more sustainable and natural environment on our domains, we encourage our guests to engage in nature contemplation, helping them reconnect with the natural world. Simple activities like observing the landscape, picking flowers, and sharing positive thoughts about nature foster a deeper appreciation and a stronger commitment to environmental conservation. And that is even possible at night, when they get to enjoy the beauty of nature and the starry night sky. We have indeed minimized all artificial lighting within the cosy cabins and grounds. More than saving energy, it is our way to make sure that local wildlife finds back its biological rhythm.
