Eight years after bark beetles forced the felling of its spruce stands, this forest in Presles is slowly finding its way back. This project gives that recovery a helping hand, turning a patchy natural regeneration into a diverse and resilient young forest. Restoring a forest isn't only about planting new trees. Supporting forests that are already recovering to make them more resilient is just as important. Assisted natural regeneration builds on the trees that return on their own and adds targeted planting or other actions where nature needs a hand. Work on the 13 hectares runs from 2026 to 2028. A mixed forest is already returning on its own, but unevenly: dense in some patches and absent in others. Silvicultural clearings come first, to make the site accessible, followed by management of the natural regeneration to favour the most vigorous trees. The bare patches are then planted with 7,500 young trees, and protection and ongoing maintenance help them establish. The long-term goal is a forest managed according to mixed forestry with continuous cover principles, promoting natural regeneration and the maintenance of a diverse and well-structured forest stand. - Silvicultural clearings: In 2026, clearings will be opened every 10 metres, creating a network of partitions across the plots. They make the site easier to access and maintain. They also channel wildlife along designated paths, reducing its random movement through the regeneration areas. - Managing natural regeneration: Natural regeneration is already present across the site, but unevenly. On some patches, it has come back densely, with different species competing for the same space. Here, some trees will be removed to create better conditions for others to grow. - Planting in bare patches During the 2027-2028 season, around 7,500 trees will be planted across 4.65 hectares where regeneration hasn't taken hold. The species mix includes sessile oak, beech, Scots pine, hornbeam, wild service tree, sweet chestnut and wild cherry, all adapted to the site. - Protection and maintenance The site has a significant wild boar population, and roe deer have already browsed some of the young trees. Protective tubes will shield both plantings and natural regeneration throughout the project. Thinning and clearing in the final year will keep the young stand on track. In the long term, the forest will be managed according to mixed forestry with continuous cover principles.