The Dauphiné Alps rewilding landscape covers approximately 500,000 hectares between the cities of Grenoble, Montélimar, and Gap. This area is characterised by diverse landscapes, ranging from Mediterranean vegetation to alpine zones, with vast swathes of forest and semi-wooded heathland, as well as mountain meadows, numerous cliffs, and some of the most important braided river sections … Continued
The Arc-Châteauvillain integral forest reserve was created in December 2021, two years after the creation of the National Forest Park. Its objective is to be “a space dedicated to the aging and free expression of the natural evolutionary processes of a forest, with a view to restoring naturalness, serving as an ecological reference, and promoting … Continued
Launched in 2008 with the support of WWF France and other NGOs, the “Wild Rivers” programme has a clear objective: going far beyond the “Very Good Ecological Status” specified under the EU Water Framework Directive to restore and conserve rivers. We communicate and adviceadvise river initiatives and use a certification scheme, the label “Site Rivières Sauvages”, to … Continued
Vultures disappeared from the southern Alps in the 19th century, due to direct persecution and indirect poisoning at a time when access to firearms increased and people were aiming to eradicate wolves and other predators. Times have changed, and people have now realised that vultures play an important ecological role. In this context, Vautours en … Continued
The TAKH association was founded in 1990 to carry out a project for the reintroduction and conservation of Przewalski’s horses between France and Mongolia. Thanks to Luc Hoffmann (1923-2016) and his daughter Maja, Claudia Feh, an ethologist specializing in the behavior of horses living in semi-liberty who founded the “Association pour la sauvegarde du cheval … Continued
Natural grazing by feral bovines was once prevalent on the dunes, moors and marshes of the French south-west coast. Historically, local people would go to the dunes every spring to collect calves for their various needs (traction, meat, etc.). These feral bovines were of a local breed known as the “Marine Landaise”, which is phenotypically … Continued
The Tour du Valat Estate covers a total area of 2649 ha in two different geographical areas located in the Camargue. The Tour du Valat Estate itself, near the village of Le Sambuc (city of Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône), covers 2548 ha, including 1845 ha listed as a regional nature reserve, 715 ha of agricultural parcels and … Continued
Started in 2012, the BioRestore project involves restocking wild fish populations – which may be threatened by factors such as overfishing, costal artificialization or pollution – through an innovative, scientifically validated, three-stage method based on the lifecycle of coastal fish. The BioRestore process enhances the survival rate of juvenile fish, which may suffer mortality rates … Continued
At the foot of the Vercors massif, vast spaces are now dedicated to hunt without any sanctuary for wildlife as the National Reserve of the Vercors high plateaus allows hunting, forestry logging and sheep breeding. The Grand Barry Wildlife Reserve is the only one where nature can take its own course.