Chepy Terra is a local association working to reconnect heritage, art, and nature within the Saint-Jean de Chépy estate, located in Tullins, near the headquarters of SIDAS.

Respect for biodiversity has always been central to the estate’s values. In this spirit, the association expanded its activities in 2022 to accelerate the protection of the biodiversity so dear to the estate’s owners.

Saint-Jean de Chépy is a true biodiversity haven, where forest, river, wild meadows, vegetable gardens, and beehives all coexist.

This private estate is open to the public free of charge and regularly hosts school groups. It plays an important role in raising awareness about environmental issues, especially biodiversity conservation. Moreover, it is located in the lower Isère valley, a region heavily influenced by intensive agriculture (notably walnuts and corn). The estate thus acts as a refuge for many species.

In recent years, the estate has been severely affected by ash dieback, an invasive disease that has decimated a large portion of the trees on the 10-hectare estate.

Faced with the urgency of the situation, major logging and replanting work was undertaken. The project addressed several key issues:
    •    Biodiversity preservation: some of the trees, over a hundred years old, played a crucial role in supporting local species.
    •    Safety: several diseased trees had already fallen, and many others posed a significant risk of collapse.

The project is part of a multi-year reforestation effort aimed at re-establishing a resilient forest ecosystem capable of capturing CO₂ and withstanding the challenges of climate change.

In this context, the Sidas World Foundation chose to support the Chepy Terra Association over a 3-year period.

In 2023, most of the diseased trees were cut down, and around a hundred diverse trees and shrubs were planted on the estate.

In 2024, the second phase of the reforestation plan was completed: about fifty trees, shrubs, and ornamental plants were planted, with a strong focus on species diversity (lime trees, Judas trees, conifers, weeping willows, crape myrtles, black alders, etc.). These species were carefully selected for their ability to adapt to the estate’s conditions: wet soils in winter, summer droughts, and increasingly extreme weather.

The projects supported by the Foundation also have an educational purpose for company employees, as awareness is the first step toward action. This is why, in December 2024, around fifteen volunteers from the Sidas World Foundation gathered at the Saint-Jean de Chépy estate for a biodiversity-focused visit.

The choice of species aims to strengthen the estate’s role as a refuge for local biodiversity. Special attention was given to nectar- and pollen-producing species, which are essential for pollination.

As of now, 70% of the overall replanting goal has been achieved since the program began in 2022, with 190 trees cut and replanted. Of the efforts undertaken with the support of the Sidas World Foundation since 2023, 181 trees and shrubs have been planted.

A final planting phase is scheduled for autumn 2025, to continue restoring this local biodiversity haven.