We know how important forests are for the climate and biodiversity. Audemars Piguet’s cradle, the forest of Risoud, conceals other treasures besides.
Notably, the resonance spruce, whose qualities are prized by luthiers, makers of stringed musical instruments. The commune of Le Chenit, the Vallée de Joux’s tourist office and the Parc naturel régional Jura vaudois have together created an educational trail that uncovers everything you need to know about the “green gold” of Risoud.
Through a dozen illustrated explanatory panels, we learn, among other things, that the Risoud Forest covers more than 2,200 hectares, sheltering trees that grow particularly slowly. It works on the principle of the garden forest, ensuring that in the smallest possible area, there are diversified trees at all stages of their development.
The resonance spruce must grow under specific conditions and meet defined criteria to reveal its full acoustic splendour. Only one tree in 10,000 makes the grade and is suitable for transformation into musical instruments. The wood must also be harvested and processed according to rare ancestral know-how. The metier of resonance tree gatherer is thus included in the canton of Vaud’s list of Intangible Heritage and Living Traditions.
The educational trail aims to highlight the entire forestry sector related to resonance wood. Many actors are involved in the production and processing of this resource, such as cantonal inspectors and forest wardens. Once felled, the timber must be dried for several years before luthiers can use it to make their instruments.
The trail welcomes walkers who respect the environment. It makes visitors aware of the site’s rich, fragile biodiversity and the importance of managing the forest heritage sustainably.
Carried out with the support of the Audemars Piguet Foundation for Trees, this project serves as an educational tool for teachers and students, as well as for Parc naturel régional Jura vaudois guides. An educational animation is being developed in the coming months to further enhance this experience.
The educational trail was officially inaugurated on 17 June in the presence of the local authorities and representatives of Audemars Piguet.
