In its latest report, WWF France warns about the ecological state of French fresh waters. But this non-governmental organization also presents its actions for the conservation of wetlands, especially in Brenne. Reportage from the land of a thousand tangi.
Upon arrival at the Chrine reserve, a surprise follows: after crossing the province of Berry, where relaxing silence is expected, the cries of birds and the crickets of amphibians take over. A murmur that grows louder as the day guides steer the small troop toward the shores of Lake Ricot. With rubber boots on his feet, binoculars around his neck, Albert Millot, director and curator of the reserve, walks with ease through the tall grass, describing in detail the history of the place. La Brenne consists of thousands of ponds, created by the hand of man in the Middle Ages, for the cultivation of fish. These bodies of water enabled the development of a exceptional biotope, endangered by intensifying the practice of agriculture and fish farming. Since the 1980s, with the support of the Indra department, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO), the Chrine Nature Reserve has been created to preserve this extraordinary environment.
Support for the activities of the Chrine reserve
Cistudes are marked for identification if subsequently found.© Marie Scharff
Since then, reserve teams have been working to protect these 394 hectares where European pond turtles have settled (Emys orbicularis), who enjoy it so much that they sometimes give them the nickname Brenne the turtle. The park tags them to track population evolution. It is a species that is disappearing together with its habitat, the effects of global warming and predation. that wild boars or foxes exercise, explains Albert Millot. There are not many territories left in the country, he insists, emphasizing the importance of efforts to preserve it. They are among the day’s celebrities: after mooring her boat, Laureline, a reserve intern, shows off two specimens caught in fyke nets, a type of net designed to catch them without harming them. They are then carefully photographed, weighed and measured before being painlessly marked using a small saw. They can therefore be read later, that is to be recognized, if they are involved in traps.
Along with two small reptiles, a tank filled with unhealthy fish and red crabs attracts attention. Thibaut Michel, future curator of the reserve, explains: these species are invasive. Once caught, it is forbidden to release them into the environment. They are therefore set aside to be destroyed later But impossible to feel sorry for ourselves: the invasive alien species like Louisiana crayfish, sunfish or nutria are a threat to local fauna and flora.
Multiple levels of protection
Turtles are not the only ones who enjoy Brenne: waterfowl stay there in large numbers, especially in the Purais pond. Indeed, looking through binoculars from the ornithological observatory set up on its shores reveals a never-ending ballet of birds of all kinds. Great grebes, an emblematic species for WWF, but also whiskered terns, birds that look like red-billed gulls. Many of these migratory birds come to take advantage of the water lilies that line the surface of the water to nest there. Their population is also being studied by the reserve, with the support of WWF.
From this perch, water surfaces are visible as far as the eye can see. Not all are part of a reserve that offers the highest level of environmental protection. On the other hand, owners who want to improve the management of their ponds can approach reserve teams, to sign management contracts, or WWF, to consider payment for environmental protection services, which consists of payment for virtuous practices. For example, they limit the cultivation of carp, a species that harms the development of vegetation, or move away from intensive farming practices such as artificial feeding.
Buy land for ecosystem protection
Between two views through the observatory’s thin windows, Jean Rousselot, freshwater manager of the non-governmental organization, recalls the importance of protecting these ecosystems and the strategy employed: We are relaunching our land acquisition strategy in these areas, a vital space conservation tool . The non-governmental organization is ready to spend 5 million euros for this in France, hoping to increase this initial investment by attracting funds from the state and foundations.
The Pisseloup pond, which was recently purchased by WWF, LPO and the naturalist association Indre Nature, is a telling example. To access it, you must first cross a meadow. thunderous, in this area covered with water. Not so much, explains Jean Rousselot: What makes Brenne tangs so rich is diversity mosaic background . Abandonment of agriculture also has an impact on biodiversity by leaving previously open areas fallow. The same applies to fish farming, which above all, don’t stop . Today, a third of the ponds in Brenne are no longer exploited, which could eventually harm the ecosystems. Fish farming, like agriculture, when done well, brings biological diversity , summarizes WWF’s freshwater manager. Moreover, the Brenne ponds, although created for fish farming, are now known throughout the world for their fragile but exceptional fauna and flora.
Article published on May 24, 2024