Camera: Hasselblad 500C/M     Lens: Zeiss Planar T* 2.8/80mm     Film: Agfa RS50     Date: 02.05.1989

Early morning on the Canal du Midi, Capestang, Southern France

About 200 thousand plane trees (Platanus x acerifolia) used to grow for centuries along the banks of the Canal du Midi, providing shade in the hot summer sun and shield the canal from the sweeping mediterranean winds. For the last 20 years, more and more of these beautiful trees had to be cut down because they were dying from an aggressive fungus. They are now being replaced by a fast growing, hardier species. And in order to avoid a similar situation to arise in the future, several other species of trees are added as well. No more mono-culture is allowed along the Canal du Midi.