cairns, small heaps of stones that accelerate erosion

Operation demolition of piles of stones at Cap Fréhel (Côtes-d’Armor), Thursday August 18. The more stone constructions there are, the more visitors are tempted to make more. Twice a week, the agents of the mixed syndicate of the Grand site Cap d’Erquy – Cap Fréhel come to scatter the pebbles. “If people want to add other cairns and there are no more stones, they start to tear the stones from the ground, which accelerates the erosion of the site”explains Auréline Marlin, Natura 2000 ambassador in civic service.

“We see, with the rain and the runoff, the earth and the stones which are on the top which begin to slide on the lower part, and it will continue to erode with the passage of the rain”, adds Aurélien Pierre, of the joint syndicate of the Grand site Cap d’Erquy – Cap Fréhel. The signs prohibiting moving the stones having been vandalized, the public discovers the problem. Faced with the cairn fashion, which has arrived in France because of social networks, the Conservatoire du littoral hopes to convince, rather than punish. “It is better to explain. Pedagogy always works very well”assures Stéphane Riallin, project manager at the Conservatoire du littoral.