Since its creation in 1974, the VivArmor Nature association has
established itself as a key player in environmental protection in the
Côtes-d'Armor region. Founded by biology teachers and local residents,
it was born out of an urgent need to protect the Bay of Saint-Brieuc,
which was then threatened by several absurd industrial projects: the
construction of polders to grow tulips, an airport, etc. The
association's early years were marked by a slow but steady growth.
Supported by public partners such as the Regional Directorate for the
Environment, Planning, and Housing (DREAL), the French Office for
Biodiversity, and several local authorities, the association was able to
employ its first biodiversity specialists starting in 2001. It was under
these conditions that VivArmor Nature became a pioneer in France in the
creation of municipal biodiversity atlases and the sustainable
management of recreational shore fishing.
Scientific Expertise and Strong Partners
The first of these atlases was created in Plérin-sur-Mer, leading to a
conference. The project quickly gained momentum. The latest to be
published is the intercommunal atlas of the Lamballe Terre & Mer region,
and the next will be that of the Saint-Brieuc Armor Agglomeration,
bringing together 32 municipalities and more than 500 wildlife and flora
observation points, mobilizing elected officials, residents, and
scientists. These atlases are not simple inventories: they serve as
political levers. Indeed, damage to biodiversity is often the result of
ignorance rather than a desire to cause harm. The atlases provide
concrete recommendations to elected officials and help preserve
ecological corridors, essential to wildlife.
As part of the national "Watch out, we're walking on eggshells!" ", four
naturalist associations in the Côtes d'Armor (VivArmor Nature, GEOCA,
LPO Bretagne, and Bretagne Vivante) are jointly mobilizing their
volunteers to help protect species nesting on the upper beaches (ringed
plovers, terns, oystercatchers, gulls, etc.).
Alfred Kenneally
Co-founder and member of France Nature Environnement Bretagne, VivArmor
Nature collaborates with organizations such as the League for the
Protection of Birds (LPO), Eaux et rivières de Bretagne, the
Côtes-d'Armor Ornithological Study Group (GEOCA), and specialized
associations such as the French Herpetological Society (SHF), which
works for reptiles and amphibians in France, and the Armorican
Invertebrate Study Group, which studies insects and other small
creatures across the Armorican massif. Thanks to these networks, she was
able to participate in the study of the ecological corridors of the
green tree frog, an umbrella species[1].
The most striking example of VivArmor Nature's effectiveness is the
closure of the RD-28 road near Lamballe, which cut through an amphibian
migration corridor. After conducting a body count, the organization set
up a system of barriers and buckets allowing volunteers to safely guide
newts, toads, and salamanders across. This initiative lasted three
years, mobilizing volunteers every winter. This approach, presented and
explained to local elected officials, resulted in the permanent closure
of the road, a first in France to protect amphibians.
This success led to a project for the Landes and Bocage de La Poterie
Regional Nature Reserve. After two years of consultation, 43 private
landowners and four public entities agreed to include their plots, for a
total of 183 hectares. The landscape mosaic of this area-heathlands,
wetland woodlands, and meadows-supports remarkable biodiversity and more
than 50 endangered species have been recorded to date. A final decision
is expected in March 2026.
VivArmor Nature also co-manages the Saint-Brieuc Bay National Nature
Reserve with Saint-Brieuc Armor. Each has its own role: the community is
responsible for the conservation and monitoring of the site, while
Vivarmor ensures scientific monitoring and visitor awareness through the
mobilization of volunteers. The urban area employs the curator and the
technical ranger, and the association employs its own science outreach
workers.
This exceptional area, with its mudflats, reed beds, foreshore, dunes
and salt meadows[2], is home to more than 350 plant species and
remarkable fauna: otters, seals, migratory birds, amphibians, etc.
Located on the Channel-Atlantic migratory route, the bay is a crucial
stopover for thousands of birds each year. VivArmor Nature relies on the
commitment of more than 1,000 members and an active core of 380
volunteers, including 150 people mobilized for major events such as the
annual Nature Armor festival organized by the association since 2006.
This is the largest nature event in Brittany, which, despite
unpredictable weather, brought together 8,000 visitors in Quévert, near
Dinan, at the last edition at the end of January.
To participate in the biodiversity initiatives offered throughout the
year and support VivArmor Nature, visit Vivarmor.fr. Raising Awareness
and Training
The role of volunteers goes far beyond logistical assistance: counting
swallow nests, providing recommendations to shore-gathering fishermen,
conducting naturalist monitoring, raising awareness among visitors to
natural areas, participating in nature projects and research programs in
the bay, etc. The data collected by the association is accessible to all
and contributes to databases used by universities around the world.
Since 2017, VivArmor Nature has been offering naturalist training
courses accessible to all through its "University of Nature." The
program includes learning how to recognize plants, amphibians, reptiles,
insects, and algae, as well as the basics of ecology, combining theory
and field trips, with a participatory approach. It trains residents in
prospecting and identifying species, helping to spread scientific culture.
Nasham (UCL Montreuil)
Validate
[1]An umbrella species is a species whose protection entails that of
many others, because it has more demanding ecological needs (space,
habitat quality, diet, etc.). By preserving it, we protect an entire
ecosystem.
[2]These are five typical coastal environments: mudflats (areas of mud
exposed at low tide), reed beds (wetlands with reeds), foreshore (space
between tides), dunes (sandy coastal landforms), and salt meadows
(meadows flooded by the sea, rich in salt-tolerant plants).
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?VivArmor-nature-Un-collectif-au-service-de-la-biodiversite-bretonne
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
established itself as a key player in environmental protection in the
Côtes-d'Armor region. Founded by biology teachers and local residents,
it was born out of an urgent need to protect the Bay of Saint-Brieuc,
which was then threatened by several absurd industrial projects: the
construction of polders to grow tulips, an airport, etc. The
association's early years were marked by a slow but steady growth.
Supported by public partners such as the Regional Directorate for the
Environment, Planning, and Housing (DREAL), the French Office for
Biodiversity, and several local authorities, the association was able to
employ its first biodiversity specialists starting in 2001. It was under
these conditions that VivArmor Nature became a pioneer in France in the
creation of municipal biodiversity atlases and the sustainable
management of recreational shore fishing.
Scientific Expertise and Strong Partners
The first of these atlases was created in Plérin-sur-Mer, leading to a
conference. The project quickly gained momentum. The latest to be
published is the intercommunal atlas of the Lamballe Terre & Mer region,
and the next will be that of the Saint-Brieuc Armor Agglomeration,
bringing together 32 municipalities and more than 500 wildlife and flora
observation points, mobilizing elected officials, residents, and
scientists. These atlases are not simple inventories: they serve as
political levers. Indeed, damage to biodiversity is often the result of
ignorance rather than a desire to cause harm. The atlases provide
concrete recommendations to elected officials and help preserve
ecological corridors, essential to wildlife.
As part of the national "Watch out, we're walking on eggshells!" ", four
naturalist associations in the Côtes d'Armor (VivArmor Nature, GEOCA,
LPO Bretagne, and Bretagne Vivante) are jointly mobilizing their
volunteers to help protect species nesting on the upper beaches (ringed
plovers, terns, oystercatchers, gulls, etc.).
Alfred Kenneally
Co-founder and member of France Nature Environnement Bretagne, VivArmor
Nature collaborates with organizations such as the League for the
Protection of Birds (LPO), Eaux et rivières de Bretagne, the
Côtes-d'Armor Ornithological Study Group (GEOCA), and specialized
associations such as the French Herpetological Society (SHF), which
works for reptiles and amphibians in France, and the Armorican
Invertebrate Study Group, which studies insects and other small
creatures across the Armorican massif. Thanks to these networks, she was
able to participate in the study of the ecological corridors of the
green tree frog, an umbrella species[1].
The most striking example of VivArmor Nature's effectiveness is the
closure of the RD-28 road near Lamballe, which cut through an amphibian
migration corridor. After conducting a body count, the organization set
up a system of barriers and buckets allowing volunteers to safely guide
newts, toads, and salamanders across. This initiative lasted three
years, mobilizing volunteers every winter. This approach, presented and
explained to local elected officials, resulted in the permanent closure
of the road, a first in France to protect amphibians.
This success led to a project for the Landes and Bocage de La Poterie
Regional Nature Reserve. After two years of consultation, 43 private
landowners and four public entities agreed to include their plots, for a
total of 183 hectares. The landscape mosaic of this area-heathlands,
wetland woodlands, and meadows-supports remarkable biodiversity and more
than 50 endangered species have been recorded to date. A final decision
is expected in March 2026.
VivArmor Nature also co-manages the Saint-Brieuc Bay National Nature
Reserve with Saint-Brieuc Armor. Each has its own role: the community is
responsible for the conservation and monitoring of the site, while
Vivarmor ensures scientific monitoring and visitor awareness through the
mobilization of volunteers. The urban area employs the curator and the
technical ranger, and the association employs its own science outreach
workers.
This exceptional area, with its mudflats, reed beds, foreshore, dunes
and salt meadows[2], is home to more than 350 plant species and
remarkable fauna: otters, seals, migratory birds, amphibians, etc.
Located on the Channel-Atlantic migratory route, the bay is a crucial
stopover for thousands of birds each year. VivArmor Nature relies on the
commitment of more than 1,000 members and an active core of 380
volunteers, including 150 people mobilized for major events such as the
annual Nature Armor festival organized by the association since 2006.
This is the largest nature event in Brittany, which, despite
unpredictable weather, brought together 8,000 visitors in Quévert, near
Dinan, at the last edition at the end of January.
To participate in the biodiversity initiatives offered throughout the
year and support VivArmor Nature, visit Vivarmor.fr. Raising Awareness
and Training
The role of volunteers goes far beyond logistical assistance: counting
swallow nests, providing recommendations to shore-gathering fishermen,
conducting naturalist monitoring, raising awareness among visitors to
natural areas, participating in nature projects and research programs in
the bay, etc. The data collected by the association is accessible to all
and contributes to databases used by universities around the world.
Since 2017, VivArmor Nature has been offering naturalist training
courses accessible to all through its "University of Nature." The
program includes learning how to recognize plants, amphibians, reptiles,
insects, and algae, as well as the basics of ecology, combining theory
and field trips, with a participatory approach. It trains residents in
prospecting and identifying species, helping to spread scientific culture.
Nasham (UCL Montreuil)
Validate
[1]An umbrella species is a species whose protection entails that of
many others, because it has more demanding ecological needs (space,
habitat quality, diet, etc.). By preserving it, we protect an entire
ecosystem.
[2]These are five typical coastal environments: mudflats (areas of mud
exposed at low tide), reed beds (wetlands with reeds), foreshore (space
between tides), dunes (sandy coastal landforms), and salt meadows
(meadows flooded by the sea, rich in salt-tolerant plants).
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?VivArmor-nature-Un-collectif-au-service-de-la-biodiversite-bretonne
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten