Large delta wetlands along the Mediterranean coast | One of the most abundant areas of biological resources in Southern France | France's unique flamingo habitat | Internationally renowned wetland art festival
01
Large wetlands on the Rhône Delta
The Rhône forms a huge alluvial plain at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea, Camargue Camargue, a unique large plain wetland on the Rhône Delta in southern France. Alternating lagoons (lakes that evolved because the bay was enclosed by sandbars), beaches, saltwater ponds, sand dunes, and freshwater marshes and reeds, the French in the south settled here early and thus formed historic villages.
Camargues is located in the Rhône Delta ©in the south of France Wikipedia
▲ Camargue's salt flat wikimedia ©
One of the most recognized theories about the name of this wetland is camargue camargue, which is derived from the Ghell word meaning curved: Kam-ar (kammar), because of the terrain of the Rhône River bending over the delta, from which the wetland was named.
For a long time, the people of the Camargues wetlands made a living from agricultural cultivation and salt production. In the past two hundred years, because the sea level has risen year by year, the former arable land has gradually been submerged. In 1859, Camargues built seawalls to ensure the stability of agriculture, and gradually, corn fields, asparagus fields, vineyards and intensive rice cultivation gradually replaced the original wetlands as the landscape base of Camargues.
▲The new ecology of new ecoco, a historical landscape ©such as lagoons, beaches, salty ponds, sand dunes, freshwater swamps, and reeds displayed in the Camargue Museum
In the middle of the last century, with the expansion of the population, the agricultural production of the local people has caused a huge impact on the natural balance of the wetlands, in order to effectively manage the agricultural production needs of the Camargue region and the resource balance of the wetlands, the French National Nature Conservancy has specially established the Camargue National Nature Reserve, which was finally selected as one of the UNESCO (UNESCO) Biosphere Reserves.
02
A vibrant wetland park
The Parc Naturel Regional de Camargue Wetland Park, which we visited, was first established in 1970 to protect the region's fragile ecosystem while maintaining traditional local agricultural production. Located in the heart of the Camargues National Nature Reserve, this wetland park is one of the largest wetland parks in Europe with a diverse landscape of ponds, beaches, lagoons and salt ponds and a heritage of ancient agricultural practices.
▲Plan of Camargue Wetland Park ©Parc Naturel Regional de Camargue official website
Kamalg Wetland Park is one of the most biodiverse areas in Western Europe, and it is also an important node for migratory bird migration and breeding, with more than 500 bird species observed and recorded, making it the most well-known bird watching paradise in Europe. From the autumn of September to the early spring of March, various migratory birds such as small egrets, herons, haiou, terns, hummingbirds, etc. will stay in the Kamalg Wetland Park to nest and breed during the long European-African migration journey.
▲ Dai Sheng ©, who inhabited the Kamalg Wetland Park in March, the official website of Parc Naturel Regional de Camargue
Every spring, the song of the typical sparrows of the Mediterranean region is often found in the ponds and salt marshes of Camargues ©
At dawn and dusk in winter, hundreds of grey cranes are often seen flying ©in the air of Camargues J. Jalbert
In winter, grey cranes also often roost ©on the rice fields of Camarg J. Jalbert
Parc naturel régional de Camargue, a migratory bird ©in Camargue
It is worth mentioning that the Camargue Wetland Park is also a world-famous and unique breeding ground for flamingos in France, and thousands of flamingos inhabited the area in early May when we arrived. Every February, these flamingos fly back to the Kamalg Wetland Park from Tunisia, Segal, Spain and elsewhere, where they court, start a family and thrive. They feed on plankton in wetlands, mostly live in groups, and in case of danger, they make loud hissing noises to warn their companions.
Flocks of flamingos ©in the Gao'erqiao Bird Park Parc Naturel Regional de Camargue official website
▲Did you know? The seemingly identical flamingos are actually divided into 6 species: the great flamingo (above), the small flamingo, the American flamingo, the Chilean flamingo, the James flamingo, and the Andean flamingo ©Parc Naturel Regional de Camargue
Because of the unique climatic conditions and the unique natural conditions of the coastal alluvial plains, unique domesticated breeds such as the camargue bull and the camargo horse have been bred in the ancient agricultural traditions here. Among them, the Camargue is said to be one of the oldest horse breeds in the world, and they have lived for thousands of years in the special environment of the Camargue salt marsh wetlands. They were domesticated by the local traditional cowboys, who participated in herding and rounding up the locally endemic black bulls as mounts. Locally produced camargue rice also has a unique taste. The various products here have been carefully protected and passed down to the present day by the locals, and whenever they are mentioned to them during the inspection, they are irrepressibly loved and proud.
▲ Camargue is famous for its ©white horse We-van
▲ The unique sight ©of the Camargue horse galloping in the water danielkordan
Camargue riders in the 19th century were known as the Gadians, and today, the Cadians live a cowboy-like life, they play an important role in protecting the Camargue tradition, and a variety of horseback riding projects are still very popular ©in the local Nationalgeographic
▲ The camargue bull, which is in a semi-free state in the local area, is significantly smaller than most modern breeds of bulls, and is used as a local dish and stew because of its unique meat quality and is well known in the southern French gastronomic world ©We-van
03
Gao'er Bridge, a garden within a garden
During our visit to Camargue Wetland Park, we communicated with the park's operation and management about our experience in the construction and operation of the park. One of the experiences that struck us the most was the journey of Parc ornithologique de Pont de Gau'erqiao Bird Park to join the Wetland Park. There is a lot of private land throughout the Kamalg Wetland Park, many of which are also used by landowners for agricultural practices. The establishment and management of the entire wetland park is actually a joint entrustment of public and private land to an NGO organization after integration. Among them, the common concept of wetland protection has become a link between different owners and management teams. The management direction of The Kamalg Wetland Park is the example of the Gao'erqiao Bird Park.
▲ The Goerbashi Bird Park is located in the west of Camargues, on the official website of Parc ornithologique de Pont de Gau
To learn about The Gao'erqiao Bird Park, you must start with the story of a family's inheritance. In 1974, a farmer named René took over from his father André a piece of land in the Ginès Marsh Sines swamp west of the Kamalg Wetlands. On this land, his nature-loving father has been running a small pristine zoo since 1949. Originally a large aviary modified from dilapidated cages, it was soon discovered that the abundant local bird resources should not be kept in captivity – and thus became a natural habitat for birds to inhabit.
René's father, André, and the flamingo ©Parc ornithologique de Pont de Gau
The small protected area has been expanded step by step by this group of bird lovers. To accommodate more birds, they restored the island's natural habitat, planted thousands of trees and shrubs, and introduced visitors to the birds that gradually chose to roost here by setting up fun commentary boards. René tells us that during the decade or so of the 1970s, the wildlife conservation center they created saved nearly 600 injured birds here each year.
René rescuing injured birds ©Parc ornithologique de Pont de Gau
▲ The injured white stork ©new ecology that rené placed in a huge birdcage to recuperate and treat
In 1987, in order to better integrate into the management of the entire Kamalg Wetland Park, René entrusted the 48 hectares of land of this small protected area to the unified management and use of the Kamalg Wetland Park. With the addition of his three sons, Vincent, Jerome and Frédéric, he, along with a group of nature lovers in the surrounding area, focused more on the conservation of the land's birds and public accounting.
As a young man, René tried to communicate ©with flamingos on the official website of Parc ornithologique de Pont de Gau
This small protected area has slowly become a very popular place in the entire Kamalg Wetland Park, and it is more like a small sample in the entire wetland protection. In 2005, it was named parc ornithologique de Pont de Gauer bridge bird park, and the René family became the designated maintainers of the park-within-a-garden. In order to keep the landscape attractive to birds, they strictly require their teams to hide their tracks during the day-to-day management and infrastructure renewal process, avoid affecting birds, and work with different institutions (such as Tour du Valat Biological Station, C.N.R.S, C.R.B.P.O, etc.) to raise public awareness of bird conservation. In addition, they are involved in bird observation, monitoring and population research projects throughout the wetland.
So far, the area of Gaoerqiao Park In-The Park has exceeded 60 hectares. On this land, which consists of ponds, swamps, meadows, potato fields, reed floating beds, etc., there are observation trails with a total length of more than 7 kilometers. Here visitors can get up close and personal with nature and receive different forms of environmental education. René, who introduced all this to us, is the best narrator himself, turning his long-term experience of living here into an interesting story for visitors, so that this responsibility for nature can be passed on in the hearts of more people.
▲The bird interpretation board ©newECO new ecology planned and designed by René on the walkway
▲The new ecology of NEWECO is an insect house ©set up in the park for insects such as seven-star drifting insects and bees to nest
▲ The small island in front of you has attracted many birds to nest here, but at the same time, a large number of bird droppings containing heavy metals have also polluted the soil of the island, resulting in a large number of originally green trees withering, in the face of this situation, René will develop more small islands as a bird habitat ©NEWECO new ecology
04
A natural festival on the wetlands
On the last two days of our arrival in the wetland, with the return of migratory birds in May, the highlight of this expedition, the Wetland Nature Art Festival, was held as scheduled. The full name of the festival is the Association Festival de Camargue et du Delta du Rhône, by Ville de port St Louis du Rhône, Parc naturel régional de Camargue Camargue Wetland Park and Métropole d'Aix-Marseille-Provence, a non-profit festival co-organized by the metropolis of Marseille-Provence, is now in its eleventh year.
"Wetland Festival is a conservation strategy." Jean Paul, president and founder of the Wetlands Festival, said to us. Due to the 100-kilometer-long "bull stocking closed area" in the wetland park, camargue as a nature reserve always makes the public feel out of reach, in order to better let the public know this place, but also take into account the daily necessary closed protection management needs of the wetland, "regular, temporary wetland festival" has become a choice that people continue to look forward to.
Ville de port St Louis du Rhône Mayor of Port Saint-Louis-sur-Rhône and Jean Paul, President and Founder of the Wetland Festival, speak ©on the opening ceremony of the New Ecoco New Ecology
▲Régis Vianet, Chairman of Kamalg Wetland Park, introduced the development process of ©wetland park to us NEWECO new ecology
Euanna introduces the new ecology of NEWECO, one of the nine provincial nature parks ©in the Province of Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur in southern France, at the Wetland Festival
Since 2008, every Year from May to June, the organizers will unite local and international social groups and institutions in different disciplines – the number of these collaborators has exceeded 50 this year, including professional natural organizations such as wetland research institutions, nature conservation groups, bird observation associations, as well as performance groups such as riding schools, art centers, traditional dance societies, and even independent natural artists. The Wetland Festival uses wetlands as a stage, and over the course of a week, the Festival features more than 100 wetland-themed experiences, such as exhibitions, workshops, art performances, and walking tours of natural heritage, to explore and appreciate this unique wetland treasure with visitors from all over the world.
▲Wetland Festival site ©NEWECO new ecology
▲Exhibitors show visitors the wetland habitat scene ©NEWECO new ecology
▲ The outdoor art manual installation "Carousel" designed for children in the Wetland Festival adds to the entertainment and fun of ©the scene NewECO New Ecology
▲ The Wetland Festival was very lively on the night, and the Fiers à Cheval program performed by the La Cie Quidams Seven Circus team attracted many audiences ©new ecology
Unlike previous years, as the biodiversity of the Camargues Wetlands has been more severely affected by global climate change in recent years, this year's Wetlands Festival has added a theme related to global climate change to educate international visitors about the urgent need for animal and plant conservation under global warming. To this end, the organizers of the Wetland Festival have introduced more professional sharing similar to TED, hoping that the public can focus more on the work of those who love nature in addition to enjoying the beautiful wetland scenery of Kamalg, and let the public find a way to understand wetlands more "beyond daily experience" by sharing their experience and knowledge.
The 2019 Wetlands Festival offers participants a variety of activities at the campsite: holiday parties, thematic debates, traditional performances, children's camp ©Parc Naturel Regional de Camargue
Easter egg time
The artistic capital behind the Camargues wetlands
Before visiting the Camargue Wetland Park, it's inevitable to pass by the historic southern French town of Arles Arles. It is home to the remains of the Roman period and is the place where Van Gogh lived and created for a long time. In a sense, the unique landscape of the town and the nature-themed paintings created by Van Gogh here have become unique clues to our understanding of the natural and cultural connotations behind the Nanfa National Park.
▲ Arles Arles ©, a small southern French town with a Roman style, Wikipedia
▲ The bull sculptures standing in the central square of the town, the Camargh people have great respect for the objects and activities related to the bull, they call these "bull beliefs". ©NEWECO New Ecosystem
▲New Ecology at the front gate of ©the Fandation Van Gogh Van Gogh Foundation NEWECO New Ecology
Finally, in the visit to the Camargues Wetlands, we must say that Southern France is a welcoming place. Here the popular veneer ceremony, good friends must meet left and right "meow" three times, in some places there are five times, the sound is so loud that the surrounding areas can only explain your enthusiasm, the new ecological team of all of you, really happy to do it.