there was a forest is an excursion into Fred Pellerin’s 60-hectare forest in Saint-Élie-de-Caxton. He shares with us his passion for nature and explains to us what brings him the calm and slowness of the forest. We discover the extraordinary abundance that this place offers, we attend a mosquito hunt, ice baths in nature, we discover the virtues of plants, then we set the table for a wild forest feast prepared by a chef. Over the four episodes of the series, we take a look at different aspects of his country: the lake, the forests, the nurturing forest, and the sugar season. Several people knowledgeable about flora and fauna also come to share their passion and reveal their knowledge to Fred so he can learn how to tame and care for it so it stays healthy for generations to come!

Here’s a taste

Episode 1 – The Lake

We discover this passion that Fred develops day after day for the forest and at the same time his desire to take good care of it. And it all starts with his lake. Fred heard in his neighborhood that the body of water is in the eutrophication phase… Is that true? And how to give it a youth cure in a natural and ecological way? With the help of biologist Pierre Magnan and his cousin Georges, Fred tries to bring his lake back to life. Then, accompanied by Isabelle Picard, ethnologist, we will reflect on the importance of knowing our territory and our ancestors.

The show will be online after the TV broadcast.

Episode 2 – Wood

Fred’s Forest is a typical Mauritian forest with all kinds of hardwoods and conifers. Accompanied by the colorful forest technician Gilles Séguin, we try to learn more about the origins of Fred’s Forest and the species that make it up. Then Fred challenges himself to do it warmth Part of the population of Saint-Élie-de-Caxton through the cordwood supply. With the visual artists Ariane Plante and Annie Boulanger, he discovers his forest in a different way, playing with the light and the landmarks of his country to create a map of the hiking trails.

Episode 3 – The Nourishing Forest

The forest is often reduced to its wood. one says forest and we think of the tree. And yet… If we take the time to stroll a little between its verticals, we will discover a rich fauna and flora that develop there. And if we look even more closely, we discover an incredible pantry: every species finds its account there, even humans. Accompanied by the runners of the forest Ariane Paré-Le Gal and Gérald Le Gal we pick edible of all kinds, which are then shared with the community at a forest feast prepared by Auberge Saint-Mathieu du Lac chef Samy Benabed.

Episode 4 – Sugar

This final episode lets us dive into the season of Sugaring Off. We follow the production process from harvesting the maple sap to bottling the syrup with a special perspective. At the same time we observe the awakening of the forest, the first buds and the melting of the snow. Fred also has the idea of ​​passing on his knowledge about sugar to people who are new to this world. A recently arrived family from Moldova takes this opportunity to learn about the sugaring ritual. And with the historian René Beaudoin, we try to better understand the place and meaning of such a ritual in our traditions for generations.