Local biodiversity experts meet to build a common strategy

Around thirty naturalist experts and partners met on December 9 and 12, at the invitation of the Regional Natural Park, to define together the environments and species to be preserved or studied as a priority in the coming years.

Developing a biodiversity strategy at the Park level

Faced with repeated warnings from scientists about the collapse of biodiversity, numerous strategies have been developed in recent years, particularly at the national and regional levels. Tasked with protecting and managing natural heritage, the Regional Natural Park has in turn committed itself to a local adaptation of these policies, in order to adapt to the specific realities and challenges of the Périgord-Limousin region.

This "biodiversity strategy," currently under development, aims to better structure existing knowledge, prioritize challenges, and guide the actions of the Park and its partners in preserving biodiversity. After a year of data collection enabling the creation of a... inventory of local naturalist knowledge, the Park launched in December a series of consultation workshopsAs with all the projects he undertakes, the objective is to build this strategy collectively.

Prioritize the habitats and species to be preserved

Two initial workshops were held on December 9th and 12th, bringing together technical partners and local experts. These exchanges allowed for a sharing of perspectives, the exchange of field knowledge, and the definition of priorities.

In La Coquille, the first workshop was devoted to natural habitatsBased on the vegetation catalog Published in 2023 and based on a typology of the Park's major habitats – forests, wetlands, meadows, grasslands, watercourses, transitional habitats, etc. – participants debated which habitats would be most relevant for Park intervention. While some habitats, such as wildflower meadows, were agreed upon, others will require further analysis to arrive at a shared list of priorities.

A few days later, the second workshop took place in Miallet and focused on the species known as "status species"that is, protected or highly vulnerable. Approached either as lists or by large, coherent ecological groups, the majority of taxonomic groups were studied: reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds, among others. The objective was to to establish clear and shared priorities, directly useful for guiding monitoring and management actions.

Work to be continued

These first two workshops mark an important step in building an operational, coherent biodiversity strategy rooted in local realities. The process will continue in early 2026 with the organization of three new regional workshops. These will focus respectively on aligning the Park's strategy with the National Strategy for Protected Areas (SNAP) and the European regulation on nature restoration, and on...support for economic sectors towards a better consideration of biodiversity, and finally on the awareness issues, of enhancing and reclaiming nature by the inhabitants.

All of this work will contribute to the final drafting of the biodiversity strategy. This strategy will clarify and operationalize the commitments of the future Park charter, while providing a common framework for action, alongside partners, to preserve and enhance biodiversity in the Périgord-Limousin region.