Initiatives 

Publications 

The voicies of wetlands in the Mediterranean

Together to protect Wetlands: The Mediterranean Alliance for Wetlands  is a coalition of 32 civil societies (non-governmental) and scientific organisations from across the Mediterranean, operating under a cooperation agreement since 2017. Its main objective is to contribute to the effective protection of Mediterranean wetlands and the wise use of their resources, values and services.

Questions for...

Xenia Tombrou, Communications Officer for the "Save Erimitis" campaign and Costas Kaloudis, former Executive Director of the Ionian Environment Foundation are currently striving to protect the Erimitis wetlands of Corfu (Greece) from a tourist development. They respond to questions regarding the contribution of the Alliance in the campaign "Save Erimitis" .

The “Lab” has now become the ‘Luc Hoffmann” building after an exemplary energy renovation

Built in 1954 by André Rivoire, architect, ornithologist and friend of the founder of Tour du Valat, Luc Hoffmann, the building was long called the “Lab” by its occupants and has since been the focus of renovation work in recent years to improve its energy performances

WaterLANDS : New European Green Deal project launched to lead largescale restoration of European wetlands

We are pleased to announce that the Horizon 2020 WaterLANDS project, of which the Tour du Valat is a partner, has been launched. This 5-year international project, funded by the European Horizon 2020 Green Deal program, will tackle large-scale restoration of Europe’s wetlands. It will restore wetland sites, covering an initial 10,500 ha, across Europe which have been decimated by human activity and lay the foundations for scalable protection across much wider areas.

Ichthyological monitoring 2016-2021 of the Camargue Saltflats lagoons and marshes

The Camargue Saltflats lagoons and marshes (CSLM), acquired by the Conservatoire du Littoral between 2008 and 2012, constitute a new potential migration route for aquatic fauna between the sea and the hydrosystem of the Etang du Vaccarès. For five consecutive years, since October 2016, the Tour du Valat has conducted monthly ichthyological monitorings at different points of the site, in order to assess the degree of connection of this new migration route for aquatic macrofauna.

REST-COAST - Kick-off meeting of a new Green Deal project of the European Union in Barcelona from 2 to 5 November 2021

Members of the European H2020 project REST-COAST participated in the kick-off meeting that took place from November 2 to 5, 2021 in Barcelona. The Tour du Valat is a partner in this project which aims to restore coastal ecosystems by reconnecting rivers to the sea.

“Measuring the difference that conservation makes” – by Ana Rodrigues (2021, Heinz Hafner lecture)

Within the cycle of annual lectures on conservation biology, initiated by Tour du Valat in order to highlight the work on waterbirds conservation of Heinz Hafner, this year was the occasion to welcome Ana Rodrigues, senior researcher at CEFE-CNRS Montpellier, member of the Tour du Valat Science Council, on 4 November 2021.

Nature, our future – The highlights of the Tour du Valat at the IUCN World Conservation Congress

The 7th IUCN World Conservation Congress ended on the 11th of September by setting priorities on nature conservation for the next decade in the Marseille Manifesto, through which the IUCN calls for the protection of nature to be integrated into the post-COVID economic recovery plans, to adopt a new ambitious and effective global strategy for biodiversity at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15), and to urgently take action against the interlinked crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Eurasian Spoonbill International Expert Group exchange day

The Eurasian Spoonbill International Expert Group met on October 2021 by video conference. This group is in charge of animating the International Action Plan for the protection of this emblematic wetland species.

The association of the Friends of Tour du Valat is coming to an end, but momentum generated in recent years is taking on a new form

The association of the Friends of Tour du Valat has been working for 7 years to develop and strengthen the links between people supporting the actions of the Tour du Valat. The development of this network is well underway, and it is time to move on to another dimension. In the summer of 2021, the members voted to dissolve the Friends of Tour du Valat at the end of the year, while working on the implementation of good practices to continue to keep this precious network of committed men and women alive.

The Tour du Valat opens its doors to the public on Sunday 6 February 2022 as part of World Wetlands Day.

A Christmas gift, original and committed to nature? Adopt a flamingo!

By sponsoring a flamingo, you will help us to promote this mythical bird and raise awareness of the preservation of wetlands, threatened ecosystems that they are particularly fond of.

The Tour du Valat is organizing with the Society of Wetlands Scientist (SWS) the 17^th conference - European chapter - “Connecting wetlands functioning and biodiversity towards nature-based solutions”  from 14 to 16 June 2022. More information to come soon on the Tour du Valat website.