Wildlife
Among the 70 species of mammals listed, some are protected, in particular marine mammals and bats. Dolphins can be observed quite frequently, especially in the Mont Saint-Michel bay. There are also a few seals, but especially the marine calf, also present in the Rance estuary.
We can find the common toad (great friend of gardeners!) and the green frog, but also lizards and salamanders.
The Emerald Coast is a privileged place where many birds live, especially marine birds. About thirty species have been identified. With a bit of luck, you will come across the Roseate Tern, the rarest seabird in Europe! You can also find marsh birds near Dol like the short-eared owl. Some bird parks are open to the public in addition to bird watching in the natural environment.
The richness of the marine environment, as far as the Manche, Ille-et-Vilaine and Côtes-d'Armor are concerned, allows to observe and taste many specimens. To get an idea, 100 different fishes have been counted in the Mont Saint-Michel bay. The famous oysters of Cancale and Fréhel and the mussels of the bay of Mont Saint-Michel are particularly noteworthy.
All the common insects can be found there because of its oceanic and mild climate.
Flora
The symbol of the Emerald Coast is the umbrella pine. You will see it everywhere on the coast. The Port-Breton park in Dinard is famous for its remarkable hundred-year-old trees. You will find fragile maritime plants along the hiking trails: armeria, silene, purple loosestrife, marine panicaut... You will cross especially the thorny gorse and the oyat which stabilizes the dunes.
Another flagship flowering shrub of the region: the hydrangea, king of Brittany! During your excursions on the coast, theHydrangea macrophylla will often cross your path. So dear to the Bretons for adorning the walls of their homes, hydrangeas are a must in their gardens. Hydrangeas like Celtic and granite soil and cool soils: whether they are pink, blue or white, the north is their favorite place. You will notice that their colors change throughout the season: from pink to fuchsia, from blue to parma. Know that a hydrangea bought in blue will become pink the next season depending on the PH of the soil! We will also see the mimosa which likes the mild climate of winter and which blooms at the end of January.
Parks and nature reserves
The creation of the Rance-Côte d'Émeraude Regional Nature Park is a project led by the association Cœur Emeraude which should be completed by the end of 2022. The park will cover a territory of 100,000 hectares and will include 74 municipalities where 140,000 people live, from Cap-Fréhel to Cancale from west to east and from Saint-Malo to the gates of Rennes from north to south. It aims to preserve all the riches of the Rance basin: natural, historical, heritage, floral, ornithological, etc., and to promote local economic development that meets the environmental and landscape challenges of the territory. Nicolas Hulot, former Minister of Ecological and Solidarity Transition and Honorary President of the Foundation for Nature and Mankind, is the sponsor. In 2021, Coeur Emeraude has collected the opinion of the inhabitants and proceeded to the vote of the communes and at the end of 2022, the project will join the 55 or so regional nature parks in France.
Nature Reserves
The bay of Mont Saint-Michel is classified as a Special Protection Area for birds. There are also seals and dolphins. The crepidula is also part of the game since it composes 2/3 of the shellfish present. A very invasive species, it was unintentionally introduced during the Second World War, then again in the 1970s with the importation of Japanese oysters. The crepidula is the enemy of oyster and mussel farmers because it interferes with the proper growth of oysters and mussels. A better future is announced for this shellfish which would have interesting virtues for health. Great chefs are already cooking it!
Off the coast of the Pointe du Grouin, the Ile des Landes is a reserve managed by the Bretagne Vivante organisation. Breeding birds, cormorants, shelducks, oystercatchers and thousands of gulls can be seen there! The colours of the island are magnificent with its multiple horizontal layers of seaweed, black lichen, yellow lichen and halophytic plants.
The islet of La Colombière is located to the north of the tip of Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer and is accessible on foot at low tide (regulated access). Since the 1980s, a colony of terns has taken up residence there. As a nature reserve, it has been classified as a Special Protection Area (SPA) by the Natura 2000 network.
Natural Resources
The main challenge facing the Emerald Coast is the preservation of its coastline, its nature reserves and the quality of its fresh and marine waters. Intensive agricultural activity in the hinterland could affect this environmental balance. Another issue is the control of urbanization, since the region is increasingly coveted for residence, sometimes to the detriment of agricultural and natural areas. The Conservatoire du Littoral, aware of these issues, has at heart to develop areas of protection, hiking and visits to avoid the real estate on the coast. Since 2019, new sections of customs trails have been opened on the coast.
Fishing and aquaculture still have an important place in the region: let's mention in particular the mussels of bouchot of the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel which were the first to obtain an AOC of the sea in France, the scallops of the bay of Erquy, the fishing of small boats..
