A varied but sometimes threatened fauna
Mammals are numerous in the region, but many are on the endangered species list. Among these species, the deer, the forest cat, the shrew, the weasel, the ermine, the polecat, the red squirrel or the hare.
However, as soon as night falls, you will easily come across the only mammal that can fly: the bat! In the south of the region, for example, about twenty species have taken up residence, notably the rhinolophes, in the Retz forest in the Aisne and in the Compiègne forest in the Oise.
As for reptiles, they are few in number, but they are present in the form of adder (the only venomous snake in the region and a protected species), but also orvets, garter snakes and smooth coronets.
No less than 167 species of nesting birds including some rare or threatened species such as the Montagu's harrier, the northern goshawk, the little owl, the European nightjar, the spotted owl, the common teal, the pileated woodpecker, the black-legged kittiwake, the fulmar petrel, the little bittern and the blue-throat. Take your binoculars and camera to the Parc du Marquenterre, one of the best spots in the region.
Finally, more than 170 species of fish inhabit our waters, although fishing pressure and climate changes are already having an impact. As far as freshwater fish are concerned, although the quality of the water is not the main asset of our industrial region, you will nevertheless be able to find eels, trout, pikes or lampreys.
One of the largest seal colonies in France
The Somme and Authie bays are home to most of the French coastal population of calf seals (1.70 m long and 90 kg in weight). This population is completed by a small colony of grey seals, much larger (2.50 m long and 200 kg in weight) and identifiable by the large light spots on their fur. Throughout the year, you can see these seals at the tip of Hourdel or in Berck-sur-Mer at low tide when they are resting on the sandbanks, or at high tide along the shore or in the ports.
Less and less shy and even quite curious, they come to show their moustaches to tourists who have had the good idea to discover the bay in a Polynesian pirogue. Be careful though, this is an endangered species that you should not disturb. So take a pair of binoculars with you!
A flora in full development
The flora of the former Nord-Pas-de-Calais region includes more than 2,000 indigenous wild species, and that of the former Picardy region almost 1,450. This diversity compares with that of the flora of France, which numbers around 5,000.
The various territories of the Hauts-de-France region offer many advantages for the development of various species. The coastal dunes are home to some rare and protected species. The pedunculate obione is found only on the region's coastline (and on Mont Saint-Michel). Two-thirds of France's native aquatic flora can also be found in the region's marshes and streams. Loesel's liparis and creeping ache are both protected species at European level. But as throughout France, the flora of the Hauts-de-France region is under threat from intensive agriculture, pollution, urbanization and the expansion of tourism. More than ever, it is important to preserve this precious flora.
If you are interested in discovering the flora of the Hauts-de-France region, don't hesitate to visit the website of the Conservatoire botanique national de Bailleul (www.cbnbl.org), which lists the region's exhaustive floristic inventories.
The parks and gardens of Hauts-de-France
To admire the flora of the region, take a break in one of the parks and gardens. In the Picardy region, the park of the Chantilly castle is the first one to be visited, where three examples of creations inspired by the French, English and Chinese styles coexist. Still in the Oise region, in Gerberoy, the work of Le Sidaner, of Italian inspiration, gave a flamboyant appearance to the old ramparts, the streets containing several hundred rosebushes. The roses of Picardy can be found in the superb gardens of the Chaalis Abbey.
In the neighboring town of Ermenonville, the Jean-Jacques Rousseau Park, with its artificial pond, is a masterpiece of English style. The philosopher was initially buried on the Ile des Peupliers, in this same park, before his ashes were transferred to the Pantheon. The park of the Imperial Palace of Compiègne is labeled Remarkable Garden. With its statues, its cradle of the Empress, its rose garden, its kiosks and its large purple beech, it is an ideal place for a stroll. Its central avenue extends for nearly 5 km into the heart of the forest, this perspective is called the Allée des Beaux-Monts.
You must follow the route of the castles to find the most beautiful parks and gardens of the Aisne. Thus, in Puisieux and Clanlieu, the wooded gardens surround an 18th century castle and are composed largely of lawns and rosebushes. Similarly, Bohain-en-Vermandois, Blérancourt, Vic-sur-Aisne, Montgobert and Septmonts are all fine examples of horticultural creations. Two grape gardens are also to be discovered, one in Orgeval (18th century) and another in Bosmont-sur-Serre (19th century). The abbeys, as well as the castles, have parks and gardens, notably at Longpont and Vauclair where a botanical garden of medicinal plants is coupled with an orchard of hundred-year-old apple trees. The most famous garden in Amiens is not one, but several: the hortillonnages. Spread over 300 hectares, these floating gardens in the marshy area have existed since Gallo-Roman times, but were not fully exploited until the 19th century. They are best visited by boat.
More to the north of the region, on the Lille Metropolis side, the inhabitants of Lille appreciate the Parc de la Citadelle, the Parc Floral de Wambrechies, the Parc Barbieux between Roubaix and Croix, the Jardin des Géants at the border of La Madeleine or the Jardin des Cultures Mosaïc in Houplin-Ancoisnes. On your way to Valenciennes, stop by the Parc Bertin in Douai, the Parc du château d'Aubry du Hainaut or the Parc de l'abbaye de Vaucelles. Let's not forget Flanders, and the garden of Bailleul and that of the Récollets of Cassel.
Finally, in the Pas-de-Calais, Saint-Omer will enchant you with its marshes and its public garden. Further south, discover the gardens of the castle of Humerœuille, the garden of Marie-Ange in Croisette and the rose garden of the Jardin des Lianes in Chériennes. But the highlight of the show will undoubtedly be a stop at Séricourt and its dozen plots of land with different atmospheres and decorated with plant sculptures.
The sensitive natural areas of Pas-de-Calais with Eden 62
From the bay of Wissant to the slag heaps of the Fouquières marshes, from the Marœuil wood to the reed beds of Wimereux, the mission of the Eden 62 joint association is to preserve the richness of the Pas-de-Calais' fauna and flora by managing the department's sensitive natural areas. On the website www.eden62.fr, you will find many ideas for walks to do, wherever you live or spend your vacations. Every month, a nature outing is proposed. Here is a selection of the diversity of these sites:
the Marœuil wood, northwest of Arras, will welcome you for a family walk on one of the proposed trails. Razed during the Great War, it has regained all its grandeur with its oaks, beeches, cherry trees and chestnut trees. The wood is home to more than 150 plant species and many animals such as the squirrel or the ermine. Near the Maison du Bois de Marœuil you can find, among others, chickens, ducks and peacocks in a protected area.
The dunes of Fort-Mahon are a place of natural resource on the Picardy coast. There are many plant species, such as wild orchids that bloom in summer.
the Fort Vert, near Calais, is ideal if you want to observe the flight of migratory birds. In this mosaic of meadows and copses protected from sea spray by a dyke, the animal wealth is very great.
the Estevelles slag heap, located northeast of Lens and classified as a Unesco World Heritage Site, is a wonderful reserve of butterflies, ladybugs and other insects.
the national nature reserve of the Bay of Canche, south of the town of Camiers, is a haven of peace between sand and water, where fauna and flora have put down their paws and roots. More than 600 plant species have been identified, including the Liparis de Loesel orchid, which is a protected species. Fish, amphibians, nesting birds and other mammals (including the calf seal) have taken up residence in this beautiful and little-known bay.
