In Seine-Saint-Denis, a network of 15 parks and forests managed by the department and classified as Natura 2000 since 2006 aims to protect biodiversity, in the middle of roads and under the noise of aircraft engines. This is the only French Natural 2000 label located in a “dense urban area”. However, there are no fewer than a dozen species of rare birds in these parks and forests, including the small bittern, the bittern star, the small owl and the European kingfisher.
Among these fifteen green spaces, we find the Sausset Park, which has 200 hectares of vegetation covering Villepinte and Aulnay-sous-Bois. When walking around, the landscape looks like any corner of the countryside. However, Sausset Park is well located in mid-1993, situated very close to Charles de Gaulle airport. “The Seine Saint-Denis, that’s it too! Here there are also natural spaces, magnificent landscapes that the inhabitants benefit”, says Vincent Gibaud, responsible for the park Sausset.
You can constantly hear planes flying over the area, but also the highway that borders it and the RER line that crosses it. Despite this, Sausset is an exceptional biodiversity reserve. “Birds come to nest here, to breed, they pass here during their migration, explains Vincent Gibaud. “They’re protected on a European level, but the goal isn’t to house them either… See, we’re right next to the playground so the kids can take a toboggan ride while watching a Little Bittern. they are used to the human presence. “
One million visitors roam the park each year and attendance has increased by 30% since the first detention. Franck is one of Sausset’s faithful. Every noon, at lunch break, he comes to watch the squirrels compete with the geese in the hallways. “It’s great because we can go on the lawn, it’s allowed, we can even take a kite! I thought we should be discreet so as not to disturb the birds, but no…”, he confides.
There are still rules to be observed in this Natura 2000 area, such as keeping your dog on a leash or not swimming in the tank. About twenty “eco-guards” ensure that the balance between biodiversity and human presence is preserved. “For some years now, primary and secondary school students have been coming to do orientation in the park, for example, so we carried out a photographic monitoring to estimate the impact of this new activity on the meadows, Explain Idriss, one of those ecologists. “Our main role is to make park users realize the importance of this green lung and make them aware of the importance of protecting biodiversity.” School visits, introductions to ornithology and, more recently, an urban farm continue this educational work on nature conservation issues.
