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N°10 - October 2019 

 

Don't wait any longer and take a look at the next activities of the Friends. On the menu : Seminars, outings, photo contest, workshops ... there is something for everyone !

 
  • Photo of the Friends : Water in all its states ;
  • Friends' agenda : A seminar retracing the extraordinary life of Daniel Pauly, This fall come pick up trash with friends, The other activities of Friends in the coming weeks ;
  • Friends' Info : The Friends of the Tour du Valat recognized as being of Public Benefit, Harvesting in agro-ecology, Friends of Tour du Valat exhibit at the International Photographic Meetings in Arles, Participation in Week of the Sea in Tunisia ;
  • Interviewing a Friend : Mike Moser ;
  • News from the Tour du Valat : News, Briefly, Papers and publications .

7

 

Water in all its states

The photo contest was launched on September 15th and will end on November 15th. This year's theme is "water in all its states", here illustrated by a fight between crested grebes during the mating season. For more information, please visit the contest page on our website www.amistourduvalat.org

 

A seminar retracing the extraordinary life of Daniel Pauly

 

David Grémillet, author of the biography of the famous oceanographer Daniel Pauly, will present the extraordinary destiny of this man and the ecological and geopolitical issues of overfishing,

 

on Tuesday, October 29th at 5.45pm.

 

The seminar will take place in the auditorium of the “Maison de la vie associative” in Arles.

 
This fall, Come pick up trash with friends

 

Following AGM of the Friends of the Tour du Valat, members visited the Bois de Tourtoulen. The woods lie along the banks of the Rhone and are strewn with all sorts of rubbish deposited by the river.  Members therefore suggested making a special outing to to clear the rubbish. If you would like to take part in this adventure, let us know by clicking on the button below.

 

The outing is scheduled on Sunday, November 24th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

(c) festival Camargue
 

The other activities of Friends in the coming weeks

 

- Vernissage of the Duo exhibition in the Arles library – Saturday, November 9th

- Guided tour of St. Serene – Saturday,  November 16th

- Initiation to basketry – Sunday,  November 17th

- Trash pickup - Sunday, November 24th

- Exhibition at the “maison de la vie associative” - from December 2nd 2019 to January 31th, 2020

 
The Friends of the Tour du Valat recognized as being of Public Benefit

 

O Good news !

Our association has just been officially recognized as being of public benefit. This is because we are recognised being of a scientific character that highlights the protection of the environment, iz non-profit and our management is impartial. As a result we are now able to issure tax-deductible receipts. Thus, 66% of your membership, or a donation to the association is deductible from your taxes within the limit of 20% of your taxable income. For a benefactor membership of €100 for example, the  cost to you will be only €34 after tax.

 

So if you have not yet re-joined our association, do not hesitate ! The last quarter's membership will count as membership for the year 2020.

 

Harvesting in agro-ecology

There were regular volunteers from the Friends  participating in the harvest at Petit Saint Jean. This year the harvest extended throughout the month of September and finished on October 8 with the Italian variety Sangiovese. All in all, thanks to your help more, 30 tons of grapes were harvested! Plots planted in 2016 and 2017 have yielded abundant crops and qualities despite the repeated heat waves this summer, damage from wild boars and some fungus from worms in the clusters. All the harvests are now being vinified at Domaine de l'Enclos de la Croix (Lansargues) and the new wine will be available in the spring of 2020. Each year, the association offers its members a chance to participate in the harvest days at Petit Saint Jean, to help with the agro-ecology project.

 
Friends of Tour du Valat exhibit at the International Photographic Meetings in Arles

 

This summer, the Friends of the Tour du Valat were fortunate to be able to exhibit for a week in Arles while the “rencontres internationales de la photographie”were in full swing. That moment of visibility allowed the association to exhibit photographs related to wetlands to an uninitiated public. The association hopes to repeat the experience next year.

 

 

Participation in Week of the Sea in Tunisia


For more than ten years, WWF North Africa has organized a week of training in marine biology in Tunisia during the summer. The week gives about fifteen science students the opportunity to discover Ramsar sites, to experiment and to get acquainted with scientific tools and methods. This year, Laura was able to attend this 12th session and she took the opportunity to present the Tour du Valat's missions to the participants. These young scientists were really interested and many wish to do an internship abroad in a conservation organization.
Do not forget to share with us your internship or employment opportunities. We will pass on information to tomorrow's stakeholders for the conservation and enhancement of wetlands.

 

Inspired by the Tour du Valat where he completed his PhD, Mike Moser has devoted his career to conservation. He was Director of Wetlands International from 1989-99, and since then has supported landscape-scale conservation initiatives around the world, particularly through the Global Environment Facility.

 

Mike was on the Board of Tour du Valat for 2 decades and is currently on the Board of the MAVA Foundation for Nature. He very actively supports the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in SW England - where he lives and manages an organic farm.

When did you first visit Tour du Valat and what was the occasion ?

June 1978 ! I was in the final year of my BSc at Durham University and was seeking opportunities for a “stage” / internship. I had two offers: one from Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean (but no airfare or accommodation offered) ; and one from Luc Hoffmann in the Camargue offering me one year at Tour du Valat with accommodation, all meals, use of a car and 500FF per month in my pocket. The decision was easy, and on the evening of my last exam I jumped into my red Renault 4 and drove 1,600km to Tour du Valat - the start of a lifelong relationship !

 

What was your first impression ?

The Camargue is a harsh environment for fieldwork! From the scorching days of midsummer to the sometimes frigid winters and the mistrals of the spring and autumn, the climate could be tough – and not to mention the insects! But in each of those seasons it was a land of extraordinary beauty. The light sparkling off the water and salt crystals in the salines ; the clarity of those winter days when even Mt Ventoux was visible ; and the reeds and tamarisks bending to the mistral. What a magical place !

 

What is your best memory at Tour du Valat ?

The close-knit and friendly community. Those who were living at Tour du Valat would regularly gather in the cour du mas in the evening after a day of hard fieldwork. The end to the fierce heat of the day, the buzzing insects, people from so many different cultures and of course the Pastis were an intoxicating mix for a young student – one he will never forget.

 

What was your best encounter at the Tour du Valat ?

Luc Hoffmann, for sure! It was only years after I left Tour du Valat in 1983 having completed my PhD that I began to fully understand the influence of this great but modest man who would regularly join us for dinner in the cantine, bearing a few bottles of fine wine. After two decades on the Board of Tour du Valat and today, as a Board member of the MAVA Foundation which carries on his work, I now know both his continuing influence on me as a person, and more particularly his immense contribution to the global nature conservation movement. I am privileged to have known and worked with him.

 

What emblematic species of Camargue do you prefer ?

Well it has to be the Purple Heron, one of the subjects of my PhD thesis. John Krebs, who was working at that time on bee-eaters in the Camargue, always reminded me how important it was to choose one’s study animal carefully so that it was easy to observe and was active only during civilised hours. Sadly, I made the wrong choice – but what a fascinating bird !

 

Why did you join the Friends of Tour du Valat Association ?

To support Tour du Valat which has had such an influence on my life, and to keep in touch with friends. I’m a member of the Board of the Association, but it’s not easy to play a useful role from a long distance, nor to engage with the day-to-day activities that local members can enjoy. But it’s good to know that the Association is there, providing a mechanism for staff, collaborators and friends (past present and future) to engage.

 

Do you have any advice or messages to pass on to future generations who will come spend some time at Tour du Valat ?

Treasure every day at Tour du Valat. These were some of the most formative years of my life – and maybe they will be the same for you. Only the future will tell.

 

News from the Tour du Valat

    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, we have the pleasure to invite you to the 2019 lecture, on 5th November at 6.30pm, Jean-Paul Taris conference room, at the Tour du Valat.

    Anne Charmantier, Director of Research CEFE-CNRS Montpellier, will present:

     

    "Studying evolution in action in cities: is there a Great Tit urban ecotype?"

     

    Please reply before October 28th, 2019 following this link.

     

    Migration of spoonbills: Tour du Valat and its partners launch a participatory project!
     
    You can now participate in a large project by tracking in real time the movements of white spoonbills equipped with GPS beacons, observing them in the field, and transmitting your observations to the Tour du Valat and their Dutch partner.
     

    Read more

     

    Monitoring nesting birds at Tour du Valat:

    Results evolve constantly

     
    Since 1995 Tour du Valat has monitored nesting birds on its estate of 2600ha by bird-sound counts.  The counts provide and idex of the diversity and numbers of birds in the various habitats present on the estate.

    Read more

     

    Inquiries regarding the Expert Committee on Adaptive Management of Species
     
    The Tour du Valat responds to government decrees that contradict the scientific advice of the expert committees on hunting of three species of threatened waterbirds.

    Read more

    Briefly ... 

    In June this year 235 European Spoonbill chicks were ringed, of which a sample of 90 were measured and 10 fitted with GPS transmitters.

    Papers and publications

    All the work carried out by Tour du Valat can be found at the following address:

    http://tourduvalat.centredoc.fr/rss.php?id=30

     

    Follow us on our website, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram . The brochure presenting the Association, including the membership form, can be downloaded here.

     

    For any information or suggestions, contact us at +33(0)4 90 97 29 79 or amis@tourduvalat.org

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