In two hectares of the Romanson valley near to Dinan, Emmanuel Rolland and the Languenan based association "Jardins Associatifs" have set out an educational walk. Children and teachers come here in coaches to learn environmental techniques.
For some thirty years, Brittany has witnessed drastic rural development. Many thousand kilometres of embankments have been destroyed. This was the kingdom of the birds where they could find food and shelter. Emmanuel lovingly maintains these educational embankments.
Most commonly nesting in hedges is certainly the Blackbird, closely followed by Dunnock, Robin and Chaffinch. Hawthorn is the hedge that attract birds the most. Thanks to its dense tangle of branches, it offers, even in winter, protection from bad weather. It offers a rich food supply, both for berry feeders and insectivores. As the Hawthorn forms its leaves quickly, many birds start nesting here early, eventually raising sometimes two or even three broods.
The forest is not only the kingdom of trees. For numerous plants and animals, the forest consists of an indispensable biotope. This is the case also for numerous species of birds. Emmanuel tries to preserve the biodiversity and to cultivate an evolutionary system taking account of all levels of vegetation. Here, trees are sown rather than planted. This is all for the sake of the wild life.
The hedgerow constitutes a habitat of a diversity of leaves which can house 49 nesting pairs of birds representing 20 species, whereas a row of conifers contains just 22 pairs and 7 species. In the Cotes d'Armor where there is little forest (10 % of the land as against 25 % for the whole of France) a large number of species of plants and animals, characteristically of the forest have found refuge in the wayside hedgerows.
Here a bicephalous Oak is joined in two places. The two trunks, several centimetres apart, join together three meters above the ground. The branches are interlaced and the lowest bough of one tree seems to re-enter the trunk of the other.
Before leaving Emmanuel to go to another corner of Cotes d'Armor, he is going to tell us about his wonderful process for family gardens. It is a small system that enables the surprisingly rapid propagation of virtually all plants, even trees, for the sake of the birds.
Visit his site to know more...
