Introducing “Forest View” - A brand new way to immerse yourself in EcoTree forests

Getting off the beaten track at home

Ever been on Street View and seen a fascinating little track or an area of forest you’d love to explore but can’t? Well we are that forest at the end of the paved road. And we’ve got our own interactive panorama experience to transport you amongst our trees and wildlife from the comfort of your own home.

This week, we launched our first ever virtual forest tour, Forest View, to give a window into the lives of the trees growing in our Châtelain Forest. The trees in all our EcoTree forests are owned by ordinary people, who’ve invested in a greener future for themselves and the planet. Flying out to visit those trees is perfectly possible under normal circumstances, but as we all know, 2020 is anything but normal circumstances.

Regardless of the current restrictions on travel across Europe, many of our tree owners don’t fancy the idea of flying all over the place and contributing more of the very CO2 to the environment that they’re removing with their trees. So it’s extra good news that we can now bring our tree owners into the forest without them having to leave their sofa.

An immersive forest experience

Our first Forest View takes you on an L-shaped walk through the Châtelain Forest, not far from famous Le Mans in the centre of France. This roughly 30-year-old forest is surrounded by pleasant farm land and can be explored on grassy trails and atmospheric gravel tracks. To add to the atmosphere, we’ve sourced the relaxing ambient sounds of real French forest to bring your ears as well as your eyes along for the experience.

You’ll notice areas of overgrown vegetation and different tree species of various ages as you walk around this forest with your finger tips. In fact, this is the perfect chance to see exactly how different our sustainably managed forests are from the classic monoculture plantations of Europe that many associate with timber production. 

Up close to the animals and plants of the forest 

Of course, a main feature of our interactive experience is the chance to find out which trees you’re walking amongst in the forest. Everyone loves trees. But do you know your sessile oaks from your ash? Even if you are able to tell these trees apart, our virtual tour includes extra information and fun facts about the main species in the forest.

And it’s not only trees you can rub up against. We’ve also brought some of the most fascinating forest creatures to life, forest dwellers like wild boar and the illusive marten. (Please note that this is the Pine Marten not Marten our Dutch Business Developer, who loves the forest but doesn’t hide out in it to entertain visitors on the virtual tour.)

The future of the forest 

This virtual tour is the first of many, as we roll out tours of more of our vibrant forest areas in the coming months. Which forest do you have trees in? Tell us which forest you’d like to try a virtual tour of next, and we’ll put it together, so you can really feel like you belong in the forest.

And if you haven’t bought a tree yet, now is a great time with Christmas just around the corner. But remember, a tree is for life, not just for Christmas. And a greener, brighter life at that. Because in your life as a tree owner, you’ll contribute to the preservation of our future forests. Whether you have your own trees or not, we hope you enjoy the tour! Click here to enter the forest.