Wildlife and botany celebrated during International Forest Day

Les vestiges du château de Sauvages, le point de départ des deux sentiers. Midi Libre – STEPHANE BARBIER

Fruit d’un partenariat entre la commune, l’agglomération d’Alès et l’Office national des forêts, deux sentiers seront inaugurés le 24 mars.

Its foliage must have trembled at the time of the explosion. It is this imposing century-old cedar still standing below Château Boissier de Sauvages in the Pininque commune. A building that has now disappeared, dynamited to be precise, for security reasons in the 1960s. However, it is at the start of the remaining farms and outbuildings that two trails, one of botany and the other, are located at the foot of the remaining farms and outbuildings. another forester, will help revive this site around an arboretum that has been neglected for too long.
Created by Abbot Pierre-Augustin Boissier de Lacroix de Sauvages (1710-1795), cedars, cork oak, Mahon boxwood, Salzmann pines or, later, eucalyptus, were cleared by agents of the l& rsquo;national forestry office (ONF). On site at the beginning of February, fresh logs of wood wait before removal while walkers on vacation arrive from this track at the start of the Auzas road crossing the GR 70 of the Galeizon valley tour. A sign of the attractiveness of the site whose routes will be aimed at families as well as good walkers and will inevitably lead to this meadow of lush grass which, in spring, was once home to families sharing the ;rsquo;Pascale omelette enriched with potato slices.
A little Eden, in the heart of the Rouvergue forest, where "we went to celebrate" remembers the Alésien and academician Thierry Martin, collaborator of our title. If the desire for restoration dates back to the 1980s, Julie Lopez-Dubreuil, current mayor of the town, sees her efforts rewarded. “It’s the fruit of three years of work,” she breathes. The national forestry office, via Madame Archevêque, is committed to raising funds of 100,000 euros; of which the Alès agglomeration finances 25%. Engineering was provided by the ONF through Lucile Vantard." 
Complete with information and labeling panels, the botanical trail (800 meters) like the forest trail (1.5 km) will be inaugurated on International Forest Day (1) on March 24 at 3 p.m. h and, ultimately, referenced on the Alès agglo Évasion application.

(1) On March 24, from the Serre des Andats site (Portes) and, from 2 p.m. at the Château de Sauvages (Saint-Jean-du-Pin), the ONF is organizing a series of events. activities, as part of a national operation, in order to promote the forest and raise awareness of its sustainable management as part of the ecological transition. A free shuttle from the Saint-Jean-du-Pin community center will take the public to the site of the Château de Sauvages. I subscribe to read more