The iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, severely damaged by a devastating fire in April 2019, has been restored to its former glory, reopening to the public after years of meticulous reconstruction. At the heart of this monumental effort was French oak timber, selected and shaped with care to replicate the materials and methods used in the 13th and 19th centuries. The project relied on over 2,000 oak trees harvested from sustainably managed forests across France. These trees, some more than 200 years old, formed the framework for the cathedral’s roof and spire, known as “the forest ...