For 6 months, from June to November 2021, the Biodiversity Challenge took place with the network of CPIEs (Permanent Center of Initiatives for the Environment) Center-Val de Loire in partnership with ARB CVL, the CVL region and DREAL CVL, in two municipalities spread over Indre-et-Loire ( Richelieu) and Indre (Levroux). For the participating citizens, it was a question, as Mathis Prioul, in charge of biodiversity mission at the CPIE Center-Val de Loire, to discover biodiversity, to learn to rub shoulders with it, to recognize it and to protect it. Five highlights were offered throughout these 6 months:
– A day of naturalist inventories in Richelieu (37) and Levroux (36). On the program: commented naturalist outing and workshops to experiment with the identification of the main species of flora and fauna.
– A guided outing on heritage species.
– A guided outing to discover the nocturnal fauna.
– A garden visit on the theme of biodiversity in the garden.
– A voluntary workcamp which ended this challenge.
This type of connection to Nature and to the biodiversity that surrounds us without being noticed, is essential so that the inhabitants are aware of the actions to do or not to do. To protect, it is necessary to know and according to the knowledge that they have of the environments and the species that live or survive there.
Good to know: the famous “butterfly tree”, the buddléia in fact brings little nectar to the foragers and its leaves are toxic to the caterpillars! It is better to plant hedges of local species, well adapted to native species.