Trees in new La Rochelle park aim to put maritime history in the spotlight

A new coastal park in La Rochelle is set to become both a haven for biodiversity and a living memorial to the city’s maritime history. The 1.4-hectare Jean Duvignaud park, being created at Pointe du Bout-Blanc in the Minimes district, is due to be completed by 2027. It will include a saltwater pond, pollinator garden, meadow, children’s play area and a ‘mini-forest’.

But the trees will also tell another story. In partnership with local nautical organisations, the city plans to associate individual trees with prominent figures from La Rochelle’s maritime history, including offshore sailors, sailing champions and people who helped develop the local industry. One of the first trees was planted in homage to renowned solo circumnavigator Bernard Moitessier, with more than 40 trees planted during the first phase of the project.

The choice of Mr Moitessier brings a particularly poetic connection to the park. In 1980, he proposed that fruit trees be planted along roads, paths and in public parks around France. “The fruit trees would belong to everyone and not be the property of anyone in particular,” he wrote, “as a symbol of the era of change we must embrace if we are to succeed in building a better Europe and planet.” His text was read at the planting ceremony in La Rochelle. 

The trees planted at Duvignaud are not fruit trees, however, because of the salty environment. Concerns have also been raised over the balance between men and women among those commemorated. Stories of maritime heroics in La Rochelle have traditionally centred on men, although the city’s plans explicitly refer to both male and female sailors and champions.

Researcher Alexandra Mallah, who studies the visibility of women’s memories in public spaces, says women are often absent from history – either prevented from participating in public life or written out of it in the retelling. “The fact that fewer women may immediately come to mind does not necessarily mean that fewer women played important roles,” she tells The Connexion. 

“The names that come to mind are themselves the result of what has been preserved and passed down.”

This means that simply looking for an equal number of male and female names can reproduce gaps already present in the historical record, she explains.

Ms Mallah says a more thorough search of archives could help identify women who played important roles in maritime history but have since disappeared from public memory.