Two students from Mines Nancy set off to discover the world's oldest forest in Australia

Louis Le Grand and Hugo Laval were both students at the School of Mines in Nancy. This year, they chose to take a break from their school careers and embark on an ambitious project on the other side of the world: making a documentary film about the Daintree Forest and its environment in Australia.

“There's no specific opportunity, but it's been a desire we've had for a long time.” Hugo says. With Lewis, they decided not to wait until the end of their studies to realize an idea that had been brewing for a while. They are both students of Maines de Nancy School. Louise is in the field of energy, processes and environment, and Hugo is in the field of mathematics. “With this project, we're going too far, but we're building on the training we've had in school” Student explains. “V.S“It's a typical school, but with a strong emphasis on ecology and sustainable development.”

It's the subject of their future documentary. “Above all, we want to show the richness of this region's ecosystem, which is absolutely unique!” enthuses Hugo. The Dantree Forest, located in the northeast of Australia, parallels the Great Barrier Reef. Its 900 000 ha, not less than 1 500 species coexist. A treasure of nature, it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

“We wanted to make a film that highlighted the environment, but we didn't have a precise plan. I proposed the project to Louise without knowing what it would be or what form it would take. She accepted. ; We did some research, and then one thing led to another, and we found Dainree Forest. Also added: “It seemed obvious, it was the best place to make this documentary.

This forest has more than 130 000 million years; It predates the separation of the continents. For almost 40 000 years, tribal people called Kuku Yalanchi have been living here. “Fortunately, they speak English very well, so we don't worry too much about the language barrier. We want to give them a voice, because the idea shouldn't be morality.” insists the young man.

“We want to convey a message of hope to protect the environment. Often, the media conveys information in a way that makes the audience feel guilty when talking about the environment; That is not our goal. The idea is to allow those who work anonymously to protect species to express themselves; It is an encouraging and exemplary message.”

If indigenous people suggest a warm welcome, wildlife, on the other hand, can be more hostile.It is true that we are a little uneasy when we think of the environment in which we are going to pitch our tent.” He agrees, mildly calm. “It's a virgin forest with many endemic species, and we don't know all of them.” Agrees with Hugo.

No vaccinations are required to travel to Australia. With a little luck, vigilance and solid health insurance, both students should be out of trouble.

An online gift pool to fund the project

This is to fund daily expenses once squared. Louise and Hugo plan to look for food jobs for a few weeks at the beginning or end of their stay.

Hugo, who has been interested in video since childhood, already has most of the necessary equipment. They leave with a camera, multiple lenses, a drone, a waterproof case for underwater filming, and multiple microphones. “I don't have any training, but I've taken a lot of film since I was young, and it's been a long-term self-teaching process. Trusts Hugo. However, a prize pool has been put online to help them fund the missing equipment and a subscription to the editing software that will allow them to create their film alone, from start to finish.

Departs on January 8, 2024 for an 8-month rendezvous and survey.