From May 16 to 18, 2025, a naturalist inventory was conducted at the Petit Saint-Jean agroecological farm. Seventy participants—both amateur and professional naturalists—gathered over the weekend to document the biodiversity of this site, located in the Gard Camargue and owned by the Tour du Valat.
Documenting the ecological richness of Petit Saint-Jean
The aim of this inventory was to complement the existing biodiversity records for the site. Participants carried out both diurnal and nocturnal surveys across various taxonomic groups: terrestrial and aquatic vegetation, amphibians, reptiles, butterflies, nocturnal insects, pollinators, spiders, and more.
Over the course of the weekend, several species of Community interest and iconic Camargue species were observed, including:
- A small bee, Dasypoda dusmeti, which had not been recorded in France since 2006;
- The Orange-spotted emerald, a species of dragonfly listed on the IUCN Red List;
- The little bittern (Ixobrychus minutus), a heron species newly nesting in the marshes of Petit Saint-Jean.
Enhancing the value of collected data
The data collected will be shared with the ‘Réensauvager la ferme’ network and the Géoferme platform [1] to improve understanding of the links between biodiversity, agricultural practices, and landscape.
By documenting biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, this collaborative approach also helps assess the effectiveness of agroecological practices. It also serves as a platform for exchange between naturalists and local farmers, and for the sharing of knowledge about agroecology.
Innovative nature-friendly farming
Located between marshes and fossil dunes on a former coastal ridge, the Petit Saint-Jean estate offers a mosaic of habitats typical of the Camargue, including marshes, montilles, sansouïres, and a pinion pine forest. Farm activities combine viticulture (13 grape varieties), arboriculture, agroforestry, market gardening, and pastoralism (sheep, cattle, and horses).
All while promoting biodiversity through the installation of a range of agroecological infrastructures such as hedgerows, grassy strips, wildlife shelters and nesting boxes, etc.).
