Recultivation of the Pontei chestnut forest

The southern slope in Pontei above Malvaglia was formerly used as a chestnut forest. Dry stone walls were built from local stones, terracing the steep terrain. While the grass growing on the terraces was mown and fed to sheep, cows and goats as hay in winter, people used the chestnuts provided by the large, free-standing chestnut trees. Mowing and haymaking in the remote chestnut forest was very laborious and shows how important every bundle of hay was for the survival of the animals at that time. Due to developments in agriculture, this effort was no longer worthwhile and the use of the chestnut forest was partially abandoned.

Trees are now growing on the terraces that were previously used as meadows, crowding out the previously free-standing chestnut trees. In order to recultivate the chestnut forest, the volunteers from the Nature Network felled the trees that had sprung up in a two-week project. The resulting wood was used to make firewood. While it was snowing in northern Switzerland, the volunteers sweated during the hard work in the bright sunshine. Thanks to the volunteers' hard work, the chestnut trees were cleared and the terraces can now be used as meadows again.