BOUQUELON COURTILS

The Courtils de Bouquelon are located in the southern part of the peaty area of the Marais Vernier. Since 1995, thanks to two nature enthusiasts, Christine Le Neveu and Thierry Lecomte, the site has been classified as a Regional Nature Reserve (RNR). The originality of Les Courtils lies in its elongated plot of land, which looks like a narrow slice of pie from the hillside. The origin of this layout lies in the site’s history: the first inhabitants occupied and modulated the marsh in this way as early as the High Middle Ages (^12th century). Its fertile soil was devoted to market gardening, with varieties of fruit and vegetables such as the Honfleur sucrin melon or the coco du marais (a type of bean). This explains the etymology of the name "courtils", which means "gardens adjoining the house" in Old French.

A little point about pronunciation! Courtil(s) is pronounced "courti", like the word tool.

Guided tours highly recommended. The association that manages the 77-hectare Courtils de Bouquelon RNR is particularly active, offering guided tours by appointment from April to October. Most of the time, visitors are accompanied by Thierry Lecomte, a great enthusiast of the Marais Vernier, to which he has devoted himself for over 40 years. Strolling through the Courtils de Bouquelon is like plunging into the heart of rich biodiversity (more than 1,000 animal and plant species have been listed on this reserve), and it’s also a way of understanding the history of the site, which is unjustly little-known and little-talked-about.

Discovery trail. Another opportunity to discover the Courtils de Bouquelon is to take the path that runs along one of the plots for just over a kilometer. Don’t forget your binoculars - three pairs of storks nest in this reserve!