From the end of June, the town of Saint-Crépin-d’Auberoche, one of the gateways to Grand Périgueux one hectare ecological recreation area, looks like a UFO. Located in a swampy area, right next to the town hall, you can walk there like in a park with small bucolic paths that invite meditation.
New stream
Still, among the wild grasses, small shrubs and perennials there is a bowling alley, a multi-sports court, a children’s playground and a fitness lane equipped with 16 wooden machines. An old meadow flooded in winter at the bottom of a valley…
From the end of June, the town of Saint-Crépin-d’Auberoche, one of the gates of Grand Périgueux one hectare ecological recreation area, looks like a UFO. Located in a swampy area, right next to the town hall, you can walk there like in a park with small bucolic paths that invite meditation.
New stream
Still, among the wild grasses, small shrubs and perennials there is a bowling alley, a multi-sports court, a children’s playground and a fitness lane equipped with 16 wooden machines. The old meadow at the bottom of the valley, which was flooded in winter, has been completely replaced. To create a new stream, the municipality called on the services of an ecologist from Sarlat, to whom we owe the preliminary studies. Its peculiarity, must join the mansion It has its source in Fossemagne and Thenon and flows to the Island next to the Palio in Bulazak.
“We have been working on it since 2017. We wanted to not only protect biodiversity, but also meet the expectations of the population. We have about forty children out of 360 residents. Since we opened it, after a year of work, the public is there”, appreciates Clovis Tallet, mayor of Saint-Crepin-d’Auberoche since 1995.
The project is also based on the recovery of rainwater from all municipal buildings (600 m²) and water from diffuse sources. A large pond of sorts greets the visitor at the entrance to the site, actually an extension of the fire reserve, a mandatory water point.
1400 trees
At the beginning of July, an artificial stream flows through the ecological space. It enjoys several amphibians and about ten species of dragonflies. Equipped with an opening net, Ilan Lenne, a graduate student at the Conservatoire d’espace naturall de Nouvelle-Aquitaine, found a new site there. urban biodiversity atlas.
In the last year, 1400 trees and bushes were planted there. Shadow is still rare. Japanese cherry trees, Virginia tulip trees or Chinese Sequoia trees are still very small. But the vegetation is already generous. Meadowsweet, irises, reeds rub shoulders with water lilies, reeds and wildflowers.
“You just have to give nature a framework and life comes naturally,” said Clovis Tallet. The idea is to recreate a rich and balanced ecosystem where fauna and flora will be preserved. As a reason for satisfaction, the eco-recreational space was singled out as an “inspiring development” at the Gardens and Landscapes Day on May 30 at the Agrocampus Périgord in Coulounieix-Chamiers.
About ten benches and picnic tables, including a sheltered garden table, make it a great place to relax. In the middle of the Osier garden is a wooden alcove or green chapel made of woven wicker. “The idea is to have tunnels of greenery after the trellis grows,” Clovis Tallet said. Landscape architect Émilie Chagnon even created a mound, an unexpected observation point with a view of the bends of the stream.
The recently inaugurated project is a mandate. “It cost €424,000 more than our annual budget,” smiles the chief magistrate of Saint-Crépin-d’Auberoche. The State, the Departmental Council and the agglomeration of Grand Périgueux provide 67% of its funding (1).
For this dormitory town, which no longer has a school (since 1985), a restaurant or a business (hoping for a multi-service area with a bar), this ecological area opens up new horizons. Small in size (978 hectares), Saint-Crépin-d’Auberoche has chosen to make “respect for the environment” its strength. “We have preserved the landscapes, the hills, the walking paths with beautiful panoramas,” argues Clovis Tallet. Future green road Which will connect to this location, will offer a direct connection for cyclists and hikers from Niversac. A service terminal for motorhomes was also installed at the end of June.
(1) Provision of equipment for rural areas €72,000, Dordogne: €60,000, Grand Périgueux tourist office: €60,000 and Grand Périgueux environmental additional mandate fund: €30,000.
There is no analogue in the agglomeration
This ecological recreation park has no equal in the sector. On the other hand, other municipalities are implementing projects dedicated to biodiversity. Like Saint-Geyrac, which developed a trail with the Saint-Geyrac nature association, and Manzac, a bat-friendly municipal forest with the League for the Protection of Birds.