LIFE Biodiv'Paysanne

A new acquisition of a natural site!

Mathilde Cassé — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 11:47:37 +0000

Welcome to the Gers, nearby Manciet, for an acquisition by the Conservatoire d’espaces naturels d’Occitanie, of 14 hectares of a remarkable natural site made up of a seven-hectare lake and another smaller one, both in perfect condition, with a wooded part and a reed bed meadow.

If this acquisition firstly ensures the land control of this remarkable natural area at the local and regional level, it will also maintain, restore and enhance wetlands and aquatic environments, conserve old deciduous trees and essential forest environments, preserve open and bocage environments, and finally ensure the monitoring and the preservation of present species and their habitats.

Furthermore, this natural site is located in the heart of an important group of major environmental interest – Natura 2000 site, ZNIEFF, presence on the site and in the immediate vicinity of a wetland, contiguity with a major forest massif, proximity to blocks of old forests in the plains.

The faunal concerns in this area are mainly the Hermit beetle, Osmoderma eremita, a species of protected beetle of community interest living in the large cavities of old deciduous trees, then the European Pond Turtle, Emys orbicularis. These two species are “strong concerns” in this territory.

Photo: Hitère pond site ©FDAAPPMA 32

L’article A new acquisition of a natural site! est apparu en premier sur LIFE Biodiv'Paysanne.

In Taoussoulet in Ariège, the banks of the watercourse

Mathilde Cassé — Wed, 22 May 2024 11:46:41 +0000

In Taoussoulet in Ariège, the banks of the watercourse have been protected to encourage the White-clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes.

Why ? Because the horses drunk from this watercourse and caused significant damages to this species. A fence was thus put in place along the banks and a watering station with a solar pump was installed…

This work clearly shows that it is possible to coexist with nature when there are satisfactory solutions on both sides…

Photos ©CEN Occitanie management team

L’article In Taoussoulet in Ariège, the banks of the watercourse est apparu en premier sur LIFE Biodiv'Paysanne.

A before/after meadows restoration!

Mathilde Cassé — Wed, 22 May 2024 11:43:57 +0000

The Civil Agricultural Exploitation Company (SCEA) created as part of the project gets as one of its objectives the collection and the planting of local wild seeds for the restoration of meadows. Here, the natural area to be restored involved numerous works: clearing, cutting of growing trees, mowing and putting away the mown material. The seeds collected from another source meadow were sown on this plot to be restored and here is the result! No more brambles, no more trees, but a beautiful natural meadow!

Photo after / before ©Franck Gaulard CEN Occitanie

L’article A before/after meadows restoration! est apparu en premier sur LIFE Biodiv'Paysanne.

CEN Occitanie received students from Paris Dauphine University

Mathilde Cassé — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 11:42:52 +0000

CEN Occitanie received students from Paris Dauphine University, as part of training on agricultural and food issues organized by Solagro.

The 20 students and their supervisors were welcomed to the operational headquarters of the SCEA in Montesquieu-Volvestre. Franck Gaulard, manager of the SCEA and Mélanie Némoz, coordinator of the LIFE Biodiv’Paysanne project, presented the missions of the CEN Occitanie about preserving natural heritage and biodiversity, then the LIFE Biodiv’Paysanne program and detailed the SCEA (objectives , statuses, developed sectors, etc.).

These presentations went on in the field : walking through the different restored plots or being restored, highlighted the problems encountered and the actions implemented (wild and local seed harvest tests by brushing, seedling tests, manual/mechanical/animal reopening areas, assisted regeneration of hedges, preservation of ponds, etc.). This was also an opportunity to get to know the COTERRA project and to discuss the potential synergies between this project and the LIFE Biodiv’Paysanne.

Photo ©Mélanie Némoz CEN Occitanie

L’article CEN Occitanie received students from Paris Dauphine University est apparu en premier sur LIFE Biodiv'Paysanne.

The Domaine de Roquenégade in the Aude

Mathilde Cassé — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 10:23:33 +0000

The Domaine de Roquenégade in the Aude department is one of the 20 pilot farms of the project. Alexis and Emilie are working hard to produce quality organic wine and to diversify the activity with other sources of production. This agriculture is done according to the nearby species and environment.

We are proud to count Domaine de Roquenégade among the pilot farms of the LIFE Biodiv’Paysanne project in order to show that another type of agriculture exists and works!

Please discover the four-episode serie above.

L’article The Domaine de Roquenégade in the Aude est apparu en premier sur LIFE Biodiv'Paysanne.

The second meeting of the Project Steering Committee took place on the SCEA lands

Mathilde Cassé — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 10:20:51 +0000

The second meeting of the Project Steering Committee took place on the SCEA lands (Société Civile d’Exploitation Agricole), in Montesquieu-Volvestre (31). This committee gathers technical partners, financial partners, associated beneficiaries and some project participating farms to discuss the progress of the project, areas for improvement and future actions to be implemented.

A big thank you to all the participants for their involvement in this ambitious regional project. A huge thank you to all the presentors during this day but also to all the people, directly and indirectly involved in the successful running of the project!

Photos ©CEN Occitanie / Lucas Santucci

L’article The second meeting of the Project Steering Committee took place on the SCEA lands est apparu en premier sur LIFE Biodiv'Paysanne.

Linking biodiversity and agricultural land in supporting local communities

Mathilde Cassé — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:19:11 +0000

On Thursday March 14, 2024, a seminar was held in Montpellier with the theme “Linking biodiversity and agricultural land in supporting local communities”. Organized by the Terre de Liens Federation, the Conservatoires d’espaces naturels Federation and the CEN Occitanie, as part of the LIFE Biodiv’Paysanne project, this seminar had several objectives:

provide feedbacks on the various community supports provided by the two networks;
explore together certain subjects such as the importance of wilderness lands, the support transversality and the use of land management tools (BRE, ORE, etc.);
lead to a working group between the different present structures to continue discussions and enrich the Acting for land component of Terre de Liens.

A big thank you to the various facilitators and participants who brought this day to life with numerous exchanges !

The LIFE Biodiv’Paysanne project is a key to embrace this networking between Terre de Liens and the CENs in order to work more together in the future!

Photo ©Mathilde Cassé CEN Occitanie

L’article Linking biodiversity and agricultural land in supporting local communities est apparu en premier sur LIFE Biodiv'Paysanne.

40 hectares at GAEC Bouissy farm in Lozère (48)

Mathilde Cassé — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 10:17:59 +0000

A beautiful agreement of almost 40 hectares at GAEC Bouissy farm in Lozère (48), on open grassy areas. The inventories demonstrated the presence of the Common Blue, the Western European Green Lizard and a multitude of species of flora.

Photo ©Antenne Lozère CEN Occitanie

L’article 40 hectares at GAEC Bouissy farm in Lozère (48) est apparu en premier sur LIFE Biodiv'Paysanne.

Beginning of the restitution of the agroecological recommendations on the first farms of the project

Mathilde Cassé — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 10:14:30 +0000

During winter and spring, meetings were made with a few farmers to discuss about the agroecological recommendations made on their farms. The diagnosis carried out last year gave opportunity to exchange on the actions to be implemented in order to improve the biodiversity capital of farms. These outputs are shared with farmers in order to come to logical and realistic recommendations, which they will then have to implement. For their participation in the LIFE Biodiv’Paysanne project, each farm has committed to implementing at least two agroecological recommendations.

Photo : restitution at Domaine des 3 Mazets (30) ©Caroline Rivier CEN Occitanie

L’article Beginning of the restitution of the agroecological recommendations on the first farms of the project est apparu en premier sur LIFE Biodiv'Paysanne.

EU Agroecology students from the Institut Agro de Montpellier

Mathilde Cassé — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 10:13:42 +0000

EU Agroecology students from the Institut Agro de Montpellier had the chance to spend a day in the field as part of the project. The opportunity to discuss the practices, methods and tools put in place by the project to take into account biodiversity in agricultural environments. A big thank you to Sébastien from the Mas de la Victoire farm, a LIFE participating farm, for his welcome and his discussions on his vision of agroecology and the challenges he faces today.

Photo ©Charly Lévêque CEN Occitanie

L’article EU Agroecology students from the Institut Agro de Montpellier est apparu en premier sur LIFE Biodiv'Paysanne.