As part of the 2025 edition of the Festival of the Camargue and Rhône Delta, three field trips were organised by the Tour du Valat to explore wetlands. The Foundation also took part in a roundtable discussion on the theme of hunting, which is available as a podcastas a podcast at the end of this article.
Visit to the Tour du Valat Regional Nature Reserve
On the morning of 28 May, the first group set off to explore the Tour du Valat Regional Nature Reserve. Marion Lourenço, an eco-guard at the Tour du Valat, accompanied participants through the site’s diverse environments that coexist on this exceptional site, through the sansouïres, the temporary pools and the montilles, until they reached the St-Seren marsh.
Alongside guided nature observation and wetland discovery, the visit also provided an opportunity to discuss the different strategies used to manage this remarkable natural heritage site.
Participatory bat monitoring at dusk
Organised as part of the participatory science activities of the Rest-Chir’Eau project, this field session allowed 20 participants to take part in a scientific protocol aimed at assessing bat activity along a former alluvial branch of the Rhône.
After a presentation on the close ties between bats and wetlands, the participants split into teams stationed at strategic points to count bats at dusk. To close the evening, Pauline Rocarpin, project coordinator, led a guided listening and observation session focused on the chiropterans.
Visit to the Raphèle marshes: discovering a Mediterranean peatland
Guided by Grégoire Massez, curator of the Raphèle Marshes, Antoine Gazaix, peat specialist, and a member of staff from SYMCRAU, participants visited part of this peatland, usually closed to the public, which is home to many rare and threatened plant species.
Following the canals, the 6-kilometre tour offered a journey through this little-known wetland, exploring its history, functioning, and natural treasures.
Radio Panel: “How can hunting and biodiversity coexist?”
In the Camargue, hunting plays a unique role in the management of natural areas. As part of the revision of its charter, the Camargue Regional Park invited festivalgoers and local stakeholders to discuss the relationship between hunting and biodiversity in the context of climate change.
On this occasion, the collective work “Managing hunted marshes in the Camargue: practical and scientific knowledge“, a compilation of shared experiences, was presented.
Speakers included:
- Mathieu Guillemain, Anatidae specialist at OFB
- Jocelyn Champagnon, researcher at Tour du Valat
- Cyril Farci, president of la Société de chasse de Port-Saint-Louis du Rhône
- With the presence of Martial Roche, Mayor of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône
- Christophe Fontfreyde, Director of the Camargue Regional Nature Park
- Olivier Pastré, owner of the chasse Bardouine
Listen to the radio panel replay here : https://www.soleilfm.com/17eme-edition-du-festival-de-la-camargue-du-28-mai-au-1er-juin-2025/
