Let’s celebrate nature
This year, for the first time we are organising and hosting the Fete de la Nature here in the Vallee de l’Aulps with an aim to join in with this national event and celebrate the incredible biodiversity we are fortunate to live amongst.
The Fete de la Nature is held between the 19th and 23rd of May, also this year encompassing International biodiversity day on the 22nd of May. It was founded in 2007 and 2021 is the 15th edition with a theme entitled “ À travers mille et un regards” / “Through a thousand and one eyes”.
The objective of the fete de la Nature is for local businesses, schools, communities and individuals to come together, share their passion for nature and propose a programme that is free and available to all. Due to the recent restrictions and confinements our programme will be mainly online so that we can continue to stay safe during these exceptional circumstances.
This year aims to highlight peoples’ differing relationships with nature and invites everyone to present their own perception of what nature means to them, as well as what they cherish and love about it. What does nature mean to you? Perhaps it is your own back garden, the local park, wildflower fields, or protected nature reserves? Montagne Verte is fortunate enough to call Morzine its home, and set amongst the stunning French Alps, with immense unspoilt open spaces, we could not ask for a more perfect location in our eyes, to signify what nature means to us. Moreover, our local environment gives us the opportunity to offer a variety of exciting outdoor activities to take part in with friends and family.
We hope that you will enjoy our Fete de la Nature programme that we have devised for you, we certainly enjoyed making it. Our full programme of events and details of how to get involved will be shared on our social media channels, including our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Our Education project
Our involvement in La Fête de la Nature marks the start of Montagne Verte’s initiative to work with children in our local community. This is one of our most recent projects, which seeks to collaborate with schools in the surrounding areas, helping to educate our younger generations on the importance of sustainable living and what it means for the environment. Just as we must protect our world for future generations, we owe it to our younger generations to support and develop their own understanding of how they can equally contribute to ensure the protection of our world.
Living in a technologically led society, children are being introduced to interactive electronic devices, such as mobile phones, laptops and tablets from a much younger age than previous generations. Whilst it can be argued that advances in technological development have positively influenced our children’s learning and educational needs, equally, children’s time spent on different pursuits, such as spending time outdoors has to an extent, been diminished.
Therefore, our aim is to develop outdoor activities in our local community to take part in, not only as a tool to educate our children, but one that revives play time spent amongst nature. Planting and caring for vegetable and flower plots, encouraging recycling, litter picks, and walks for flora & fauna spotting in local parks and/or woodlands are all ways in which we can teach them how to help and protect the environment in the future, as well as nurture children’s love for nature. In the future we also hope to work with young Climate Ambassadors in the local secondary school, to promote the importance of sustainable living, listening to young adults’ voices and encouraging them to develop initiatives of their own. Whilst this education project is still currently in its infancy, we are very grateful to all those who have had an integral part in supporting us and we look forward to delivering more news on our progress.
In the meantime, we hope to see you at one of our events during La Fête de la Nature and celebrate the beautiful place in which we live.
Words: Katie Rutherford
