February 2025 – For three days, CM2 pupils from Chelles schools braved the cold and fog to plant 4,150 young trees in the future Jacques Chirac park. A landmark initiative that will leave them with the memory of having actively contributed to the greening of their town and the creation of a sustainable natural area.
A planting project for young people
In all, almost 620 CM2 pupils took part in these planting days. Their commitment is part of the Chelles Nature 2030 plan, which aims to offer future generations a green and sustainable living environment. Thanks to this initiative, these young Chellois have learned the basics of tree planting. A twenty elected members of the Children’s Council accompanied by the Mayor of Chelles, Brice Rabaste, also took part in the planting. He recalled the importance of concretely involving young people in the development of their region.
Opening scheduled for June 2025
The transformation of the site will continue over the coming months. The park is due to open in June 2025. This new space will offer Chelles residents a natural, landscaped setting for relaxation. The park will offer different types of natural environment : orchards, woodlands (7.58 hectares) and shrubby borders, dry grassland areas (5.91 hectares), meadows (5.39 hectares) and wetlands. Leisure facilities will complete the development : playground, sports equipment, picnic area, orientation tables.
A park made possible by the circular economy of building and civil engineering waste
A former clay quarry overrun by waste and invasive species, the site was in need of rehabilitation to restore its ecological balance. In 2012, Safer Île-de-France became the owner of the site in order to carry out a renaturation project. Using soil excavated from construction sites, notably the Grand Paris Express, ECT shaped the site and financed the ecological and landscape restoration, as well as the equipment. The transformation of the derelict site into a new nature and leisure area open to all is now almost complete.
