The WaterLANDS partner and Knowledge Site “La Tour du Valat”, is a private research institute located in the heart of the Camargue, the largest wetland in France. To celebrate World Wetlands Day, each year La Tour du Valat organises an open house day, presenting a unique opportunity for visitors of all ages to discover the research institute and its Regional Nature Reserve.
Situated in the delta of the Rhône River on the French Mediterranean coast, the Camargue Biosphere Reserve is made up of a mosaic of lagoons and represents one of the most important wetlands in Europe. The Camargue has been shaped by nature and human activities over the centuries during which it has developed a strong cultural identity and unique natural heritage. Its exceptional biological richness is illustrated by the 272 species of birds found here.
The Tour du Valat estate itself includes all the natural habitats representative of the fluviolacustrine Camargue, covering 2649 hectares. As part of this year’s World Wetlands Day event, the institute shared best practices and lessons learned from their large restoration project with more than 700 visitors attending this special event on February, 2nd 2025.
In addition to two walking trails with free access to the Nature Reserve, the public was able to enjoy numerous activities throughout the day. Visitors were able to sample products from the Petit Saint-Jean agroecological farm, which has been in management by Tour du Valat since 2012 with the aim of developing a conservation management project that incorporates a productive, sustainable, and autonomous agricultural system based on the principles of agroecology and agroforestry.
In addition, the public could learn more about the fascinating world of flamingos at the “Adopt a Flamingo stand”, which aims to safeguard this emblematic species through public contributions that directly support the study and protection of the greater flamingo.
The work of two artists, Clémence Vazard and Antonio Navarro, who regularly work on the Tour du Valat estate as part of their research in art and design, was highlighted at the event.
Over the course of the day, three talks were given, including ‘The European eel in the Mediterranean lagoon environment’, by Amélie Hoste, a post-doctoral researcher who recently submitted her thesis at the Tour du Valat. Author and photographer Jean E. Roché presented her new work on ‘Flamingos: between nature and culture’. Finally, the day ended with a talk on the theme of ‘International waterbird population counts’, given by Laura Dami, project manager at the Tour du Valat.
Learn more about theWaterLANDS Knowledge Site here.
Images: © Marion DOUCHIN - Tour du Valat
