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Program > Field Trips
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August 24th will be devoted to field visits, which will provide an opportunity to observe a range of restoration operations carried out in Brittany over the last few years or decades. These visits concern varied environments, from urban to coastal areas. Most tours require good shoes (except for visit number 8, which takes place in the city). Please note that some visits are 'full days', others are 'half days', and the first two are long visits that will require an early morning departure. The indicative lists are open to modification (addition or cancellation). We ask you to choose 3 visits in order of priority, as the number of participants may be limited.
#1 - Megalithic Site of Carnac and Quiberon Peninsula: Two Examples of Restoration of Over-Frequented Sites in Morbihan The coastline and iconic Breton sites have been affected by overuse for several decades. Protective measures have therefore long been implemented to enable site restoration. Morbihan is particularly affected due to high tourist pressure. During this field trip, two contrasting sites will be visited:
Organized by the University of Brest, in collaboration with: Centre des Monuments Nationaux, Dunes Sauvages de Quiberon, Conservatoire du Littoral, This field trip is a full day with an early departure as it involves a long bus journey.
#2 - Restoration of Coastal Ecosystems: Ploubalay’s Polder and the Two Capes Due to the variety of its ecosystems, the coastline of Brittany has been subjected to different types of pressure and degradation, including overuse, urbanization, and poldering. Thus, Brittany’s stakeholders have implemented numerous restoration operations over the last few decades. Many of these have been opportunities for collaboration between research actors and managers of natural spaces within the framework of strong links specific to Brittany. This field trip will explore a rich sector of Brittany’s north coast where a variety of restoration operations have occurred since the mid-1980s. Two types of restoration will be presented, linked to two different contexts: 1/ Restoration of over-frequented cliff sites. Coastal cliff site degradation is a major issue in Brittany as capes are very attractive due to their majestic and wild-looking landscapes, which offer fantastic views of the sea. In the area of the “Two Capes,” the Cape of Erquy and the Cape Fréhel have been subjected to high levels of frequentation and thus have undergone restoration that was initiated in 1984 for the former and in the early 2000s for the latter (completed in 2019). 2/ Restoration of diked salt-marshes (depoldering) Along the French Atlantic Coast, many salt marshes were poldered during the last century, including very large polders (such as in the Mont-Saint-Michel Bay) but also small ones (a few hectares) that constitute a high potential for restoration as many of them are no longer in use and do not present a safety role. Thus, the polder of Ploubalay, which will be visited, was reconnected to the sea in 2020 after a process of accepted spontaneous depoldering within the framework of the ADAPTO LIFE program and under the responsibility of the Conservatoire du Littoral. Organized by the University of Brest, in collaboration with: Conservatoire du Littoral, Syndicat des Caps, Département des Côtes d’Armor. This field trip is a full day with an early departure as it involves a long bus journey #3. Ouessant Island: Management and Restoration of Coastal Heathlands and Grasslands (Full Day) The Armorique Regional Natural Park is the manager, delegate of the State, of the inhabited terrestrial parts of the Natura 2000 site "Ouessant-Molène." As such, it implements a management strategy allowing the maintenance and restoration of environments in good ecological status. The outing will allow the discovery of the management actions implemented on the island:
Organized by Parc Naturel Régional d’Armorique in collaboration with: University of Brest, CEMO. #4. Brest Bay: Management Aimed at Restoring Marine and Coastal Environments (Half Day) The Armorique Regional Natural Park is the manager, delegate of the State, of the Natura 2000 sites in Brest Bay. It implements a strategy for restoring the marine environment. In partnership with various stakeholders, restoration work has been carried out in this largely marine area and will continue in different marine and coastal habitats. This field trip will be an opportunity to discover the various projects being carried out in Brest Bay:
Organized by Parc Naturel Régional d’Armorique in collaboration with: University of Brest, IFREMER, National Botanical Conservatory of Brittany, CRC North Brittany. #5. Restoration of Peat Bogs and Moorlands by Filling in Drains (Half Day) Visit to peat bogs and moorlands restored as part of the LIFE Landes d'Armorique program (2021-2025) using the technique of drain filling – technique used and first results (piezometric monitoring). These are environments that have historically been degraded by drainage ditches to facilitate grazing and peat extraction. As these practices have now disappeared, the Armorique Regional Nature Park is seeking to restore the ecological functions of these natural areas (biodiversity, water storage and purification, carbon storage). The restoration work consists of using the excavation/backfill technique to completely or partially fill in (successive plugs) the drainage ditches in order to maximize the time the water remains on the site. Over the duration of the LIFE project (2021-2025), approximately 5.5 km of ditches have been filled in, restoring an area of 54 hectares. Organized by Parc Naturel Régional d’Armorique. #6. Restoration of Coastal Environments on the Crozon Peninsula (Full Day) The Crozon Peninsula in the south of Brest Bay presents a large diversity of ecosystems, notably coastal ecosystems which have undergone major evolution due to frequentation, abandonment, and management of coastal marshes. During this field trip, three main sites will be visited:
Organized by Parc Naturel Régional d’Armorique in collaboration with: University of Brest, Community of communes of PCAM, and the Marine Natural Park of Iroise. #7. Restoration Night in Brest and Surrounding Area (Half Day) Light pollution is a major perturbation in urban, suburban, and rural areas, directly and indirectly affecting organisms through circadian cycle perturbation and landscape fragmentation. Restoring night conditions by switching off public lighting or by adapting lighting hours can allow the reestablishment of favorable conditions for nocturnal and diurnal species. Within the framework of the Interreg Darker Sky project, Brest metropole implemented two restoration actions allowing to reduce lighting impact. These two sites (Moulin Blanc and St Anne) are located on the seafront near quite natural valleys that limit the urban area. Surveys were conducted to evaluate both the level of disturbance (light measurement) and the effect on biodiversity (birds, bats, arthropods…). One of the sites was also subjected to soil renaturation. The visit will allow the presentation of light modification and survey design and methods. Discussion with partners from the Armorique Regional Natural Park (PNRA) will allow comparison of approaches conducted in urban areas with those in rural areas. Organized by the University of Brest, in collaboration with: Brest Metropole. #8. Restoration of the Former Quarries of Bodonnou (Half Day) The site of Bodonou, located in the municipalities of Plouzané, Guilers and Brest, was until the late 1970s an agro-natural space recognized for its ecological interest (ZNIEFF de Kersquivit). From the 1980s, it was exploited for more than thirty years for the extraction of aggregates. In May 2022, the operator retroceded this 130-hectare site to Brest Métropole in order to allow its gradual redevelopment into an ecological space. The site managed today by Brest Métropole gradually regains a naturalness favorable to fauna and flora, with more than 650 animal and plant species inventoried. A mosaic of diverse habitats develops today: ponds, reedbeds, moors, wet meadows, woodlands and thickets. A remarkable natural space that provides important ecological functions (resting, breeding and feeding areas for wildlife...). The naturalistic inventories carried out by experts accompanying Brest métropole—including the National Botanical Conservatory of Brest, Bretagne Vivante, GRETIA and the GMB — confirm the site’s major interest for biodiversity, at local and departmental levels, particularly for avifauna.. Organized by Brest Metropole, in collaboration with the National Botanical Conservatory of Brest, Bretagne Vivante, GRETIA and the GMB
© Matthieu Le Gall
#9. Wetland and Stream Restoration in South Finistère (Full Day) The first two sites, visited in the morning, offer a glimpse of typical restoration actions carried out by watershed managers in Brittany. The first consists in the suppression of a pond located on a stream to restore ecological continuity of the stream and transversal continuity with the wetland, and the second, the remeandering of a small river to restore river and riverine wetland functionality. The third site, which will be visited in the afternoon, is a more ambitious project where a wetland and a stream were restored on the site of an abandoned fish farm. The project necessitated the suppression of nearly 10,000 m³ of landfill, the recreation of the wetland ground after excavation of the concrete fish ponds, the reprofiling of 180 m of river, and the installation of a new fish pass. The site, property of the Finistère Departmental Council, is now open to the public and managed by goat grazing. A brief presentation at the beginning of the day by the Loire-Bretagne water agency will introduce the wetland and river restoration policies and financing in France. Organized by the Forum des Marais Atlantiques, in collaboration with Ouesco collectivity, Département du Finistère, and Water Agency.
#10. Wetland and River Restoration in North Finistère Valleys (Full Day) This trip will take you through three restoration sites which aimed at restoring the valley bottom functionality by restoring the river in its former bed and restoring the riverine wetlands. The first site (Moulin du Châtel) is on the location of a former chicken farm taking up the width of the valley. The river was buried under 4 m of landfill on which the farm buildings were built. This project consisted in removing the entirety of the farm buildings and the landfill and restoring the natural valley bottom profile with its wetlands and the river running in its former bed. If time permits, a smaller wetland restoration site, by suppression of a former mill pond, will be visited on the way to the third site. The last site consists in the restoration of the ecological continuity of the Pontplaincoat River through 10 restorative actions, two of which will be visited. This valley was subjected to mining for tin ore until the 1970s, resulting in the creation of ponds and the displacement of the river out of the valley bottom. The main restoration actions consisted in backfilling the excavated ponds to restore the valley profile and replace the river in its former bed. A brief presentation at the beginning of the day by the Loire-Bretagne water agency will introduce the wetland and river restoration policies and financing in France. Organized by the Forum des Marais Atlantiques, in collaboration with SM Horn, An Dour.
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