We asked Emilie Parthuisot a few questions to find out more about Atmosylva, the company that offers its expertise to all players in the wood industry who wish to become involved in the preservation of natural areas and forests.
Can you introduce yourself? What is your background?
I have always been passionate about nature and the forest, an infinitely rich and inspiring environment. I am very concerned about the preservation of natural resources and I believe that it is more than necessary to bring humans closer to their environment and the forests that surround them.
I worked for 8 years as a lawyer in the fields of construction and real estate development, managing the legal aspects of complex projects, in close contact with a wide range of public and private, operational and financial stakeholders. It was very rewarding because my work covered many areas and this experience is very useful for my activity today.
What led you to found Atmosylva?
I decided to found Atmosylva to preserve forests, plant trees and safeguard natural environments in France, thanks to the financing of companies committed to improving their environmental impact and contributing to carbon neutrality.
This founding act is the result of research and studies in forest management and numerous meetings with key players in the forestry and wood industry. My experience in large groups also allows me to understand the challenges and expectations of companies. This is how Atmosylva positions itself as a creator of links and a vector of a new language of communication between the economy and nature.
What role does Atmosylva play in the wood industry?
Atmosylva has a leading role in encouraging forest renewal and adaptation to climate change. We want to preserve the forest for its own sake but also to ensure the future of wood and forest co-products, renewable natural resources par excellence. It is also a lever to encourage the implementation of forest management, providing valuable assistance to initiate sustainable management and thus boost the forestry-wood sector according to the specificities of each region.
Numerous opportunities are to be created in France to reinforce the short circuit systems, a better traceability and to valorize the French wood, with a very strong economic and social impact at the level of the territories.
What difficulties do you encounter on a daily basis in the exercise of your mission?
Today, the link between forest and wood is not (or no longer) obvious in the collective imagination. The main difficulty is to show this necessary relationship between the forest, a fascinating and almost magical universe, and the wooden furniture we hold so dear. Forests are still not well known in their management aspects, and Atmosylva’s mission is to show that a forest can be multifunctional and therefore beneficial for ecosystems, the climate, collective well-being and also for an economy based on sustainable natural resources, instead of materials and energy of fossil origin.
What successes can you look forward to?
From the outset, our projects were met with enthusiasm by companies. There is a real will to act, to reduce their impact and to go further by acting directly at a local scale. That’s why we help them by providing various projects and “turnkey” communication supports, with the possibility of a more integrated support to the communication strategy of the company.
The Low Carbon Label projects are also very well received. They meet the need for carbon reduction certification, issued by the government, which even validates the environmental and socio-economic co-benefits of these projects.
Who can benefit from private funding with Atmosylva?
These funds are intended for private or public forest owners and concern fallow land to be afforested, dying forests, having suffered from storms, fires, diseases and pest attacks. Some of them are in a complete silvicultural impasse and very often the species in place are not well adapted to climate changes.
Our projects also include scientific experiments, silvicultural work to promote natural regeneration and the preservation of a continuous forest cover. We also address projects for the restoration of biodiversity areas, wetlands in forests or along watercourses called riparian zones, true reservoirs of biodiversity!
What are Atmosylva’s objectives for the coming years?
The objective is to be at the forefront of forestry and biodiversity projects, to develop innovative offers, to contribute to experimentation and to the acquisition of knowledge for a silvicultural management always more adapted to resilient and multifunctional forests.
We wish to develop opportunities for involvement and investment of the economic world for the preservation of forests and to encourage the bioeconomy, that is to say, an economy based on nature and its sustainably managed resources.
In your opinion, reforestation is necessary because … ?
Reforestation often occurs following climatic events, natural and sanitary hazards degrading the forests, or when natural regeneration is insufficient and not sufficiently adapted to the climate and the objectives of the forest. Trees, or rather their seeds, are “moving” and changing their ranges, but at a much slower rate than the rise in temperature.
Above all, it is important to think about “species diversity”, for forests that are more resistant to disease and richer in biodiversity. Finally, reforestation implies a global reflection, to take into account the stands already in place and even the dead trees to be preserved, essential elements of forest ecosystems.
Thanks to Emilie Parthuisot for answering our questions!
Other interviews
- Interview: Laurent Maréchaux, délégué général du SEFB
- Interview: François Vulser, responsable du concours La Canopée
- Interview: Tancrède Neveu, directeur délégué de Plantons pour l’avenir
- Interview : Lucie Pelous, coordinatrice de la Journée internationale des forêts
