France: Arboretum Saint genis

Did you know that we have an Arboretum in the Pays de Gex?

Even though I’ve lived in the area for many, many years, this was new information to me.

In spite of the name, the location of the Arboretum Saint Genis is in fact in Crozet. See map below.

OK. First things first: An arboretum is a botanical garden specializing in trees. You could also say it is an outdoor living tree museum. Trees in living collections can represent diversity from different parts of the world or from different scientific plant groups.

Arboreta (plural form of arboretum) invest in the health of trees. Because they are part of an ecosystem, trees can become dangerous when their trunks, roots, or branches fail. Specialized researchers study why and how trees fail. Their findings can improve how we manage trees in collections, urban environments, and the wild. In other words, the trees in an arboretum are not just there because they’re nice to look at; they’re also being observed and studied!

The plantation in Crozet was done in the late 1980s. You can see that it is a bit overgrown by now and I wonder how much research has taken place in the last few years. It looks like the commune of Saint Genis lately has started to restore it with new signs replacing trees that have fallen down, and also removing those that have toppled over.

Even if a little overgrown I will definitely recommend a visit. On a hot summer day, this is the perfect place to go for a small stroll. The path itself is only 850 meters but can me made longer if you walk along some of the other paths available in the area.

If you have small children, 850 meters might just be the perfect length for a walk, and following the arrows that indicate the direction and spotting the name plates on the threes makes it really good fun. Towards the end of the path, you will find an area with a few huts made of branches where the kids can play.

If you want to read up on the various types of trees you will see I have listed both the French and the English name and put a link to Wikipedia that can be consulted.