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Wood-burned with a pyrography iron and fixed to the tree you have adopted. Valid for 1 year — renewable.
Conservation Initiative
Let's save ANOTHER 5,000 square metres of history. Together.
Twenty-five centuries of tradition risk disappearing under the uncontrolled advance of invasive species and the total abandonment of the land.
The state of the woods
Woods that no longer exist.
For years entire hillsides have been smothered by acacias, brambles and thorns: chestnut groves once tended with care are today not even accessible any more. This is not yesterday’s problem — it is a decay that has been advancing for years, in silence.
Under that tangle sleep centuries-old chestnut trees, and with them centuries of peasant labour that nobody harvests any more. Leaving it all like this would be a mortal sin: a heritage built over centuries, capable of giving an exceptional raw material, would go to waste.
What restoring means
First you give. Then you harvest.
Recovering an area does not bear fruit straight away. First come years of work and money, without harvesting anything: pure hard graft, an investment made today for a wood that will come back to life tomorrow.
01
Pruning the centuries-old trees
Trees left to grow for decades must be brought back into shape, one branch at a time, with respect for their age.
02
Clearing acacias and brambles
Freeing the undergrowth from the invasive species that smother the chestnuts and make the woods impenetrable.
03
Restoring the dry-stone walls
The stone terraces that hold up the mountain must be rebuilt by hand, stone upon stone, as in the old days.
04
Wild-boar fencing
Without protection, wild boars destroy the harvest before it even ripens: fencing is essential.
05
Grafting and new plants
Prized varieties are grafted onto the recovered chestnuts; and the wild trees grown over the years are brought back to fruit.
Lot 01 · The starting point
5,000 m² are just the beginning.
We need €15,000 to restore the first lot: cadastral parcels 38, 43, 44, 23 and those granted by the neighbours (22, 40, 41). Clearing, pruning, dry-stone wall restoration, replanting of dead chestnut trees.
But our dream is much bigger: to bring back life to the whole Svizzera Pesciatina, hectare after hectare. We are looking for people who believe in this — every new lot is another piece of land reclaimed from abandonment.
Adopt a chestnut tree and come see it in person, or support us with a free donation of any amount you wish.
The recovery roadmap
Every euro has a milestone.
We broke the first plot’s €15,000 into concrete goals: here is where we are and what your donation unlocks.
Raised so far
€ 150
Goal — Plot 01
€ 15.000
- € 1,000 Undergrowth clearing
- € 3,000 Removal of invasive acacias
- € 5,000 Fencing of the area
- € 9,000 Pruning of all the trees
- € 12,000 Grafting and new plantings
- € 15,000 Dry-stone walls — plot completed
Our vision
Beyond the 5,000 m². The whole Svizzera Pesciatina.
This first lot is a concrete experiment. But the Svizzera Pesciatina region has hundreds of hectares of abandoned chestnut groves waiting. Woods that, with the right hands and a community that believes, can breathe again.
Every extra euro raised, every new sponsor, every person who believes in this project lets us extend the recovery to another lot, another grove, another piece of the Apennines.
5.000
m² today
2×
2027 goal
∞
the dream
The territory
Hundreds of hectares of historic chestnut groves to restore in the villages of Pescia, Vellano, Pontito, Stiappa.
Where we work
The reclamation area.
Cadastral parcels affected by the work, with borders in brick red. Winter 2023 view — source: Geoscopio Regione Toscana.
38 · 43 · 44Maltagliati parcels
40+hectares managed
22 · 40 · 41Granted by neighbours
~5.000 m²Total area
€99 · the sponsor
What you get when you adopt a chestnut tree.
This is not an anonymous donation. It is an experience that binds you forever to a tree, its story, and our family.
Only 50 chestnut trees available for adoption — limited availability
1 kg of flour
Traditional stone-milled chestnut flour from our mill.
1 kg of dried chestnuts
Dried for 40 days in the metato. To keep in the pantry for soups and cakes: a reserve of flavour for the whole winter.
A day as our guest.
We take you through the forest, to the metato and the mill, and welcome you to the table with a “humble” but authentic tasting: necci (chestnut crepes), castagnaccio (chestnut cake), panzanella (Tuscan bread salad), a glass of wine and a sip of spring water. No designed menu — just what the forest and the season give us.
Message us on WhatsApp to adopt
Or help us with a free donation of any amount you wish.
In the field
Our work.
From the wood to the metato, from the millstone to the bagging: every step is done by hand, with the care of the old days. This is the work your donation supports.
The Forest's Urgency
At the heart of our estate, a unique ecosystem is suffocating. 20 centuries-old chestnut trees, gentle giants that fed generations, are today smothered by acacia and invasive ivy.
These monumental trees need an immediate intervention of clearing, conservative pruning and ground stabilisation. Without care, within the next 3 years, root suffocation and lack of light will mark the end of this legacy.
"The chestnut is not just a tree, it is a living monument that speaks of our resilience."
payments
Funding goal — €15,000
€ 235
of €15,000 — raised so far
€ 235 raised
1,6%
Every cent goes exclusively to the work of forestry technicians and agronomists.
eco
Biodiversity
Restoring these 5,000 sqm means reviving the natural habitat for local bees and undergrowth wildlife.
location_on
Lot 01: The Valley
An area of 5,000 sqm of historic chestnut grove seen from above — the beating heart of our intervention.
See the forest's rebirth through our eyes.
Through the "Free Donation", you become part of our log book. You will get monthly updates, drone videos monitoring the work, and the digital certificate of land guardian.
Free DonationfavoriteBecome the Sponsor of a Giant
A concrete commitment for those who want an unbreakable bond with nature.
nature_people
Adopt a chestnut tree
The sponsor pack
€ 99 / year
Your adoption kit includes:
- label Tag with your name engraved on the trunk
- shopping_basket 1 kg of chestnut flour made the traditional way
- nest_eco_leaf 1 kg of dried chestnuts from the first cared-for harvest
- groups A day as our guest at the mill with tasting
Limited availability — only 50 specimens.
"Caring for a chestnut tree is not just farming — it is an act of faith in the future. Those who plant chestnuts today are thinking of the generations that will come in a hundred years."— Nonno Nanne
