The hillside
"When we think of the downs, we think of the downs in daylight"
Richard Adams
On the slopes that hurtle down from the summit of the hillside, you can see shorter, dryer grasses from which invasive shrubs emerge.
Long ago, you would find many of these large grassy expanses: known as “Ch’larris d’Laviers” in the Picardy dialect. They were a feature of non-wooded hillsides with dry, chalky and porous soil that didn’t hold water, unusual for the Picardy climate.
Cleared by man as too steeply sloped and unsuitable for cultivation, shepherds would use this land to graze their sheep.
Long ago, you would find many of these large grassy expanses: known as “Ch’larris d’Laviers” in the Picardy dialect. They were a feature of non-wooded hillsides with dry, chalky and porous soil that didn’t hold water, unusual for the Picardy climate.
Cleared by man as too steeply sloped and unsuitable for cultivation, shepherds would use this land to graze their sheep.
Incredible biodiversity!
Many common plant species from mountain or Mediterranean coastal areas can be identified there. They can tolerate a lack of water and the heat to be able to grow there, such as the German gentian or the Orchis militaris, a rare orchid in the region but often found on hillsides.
Where good air meets good care… An ecological reconciliation.
Putting herds out to pasture in these fragile environments facilitates ecological and traditional conservation: a return to uses of old which puts the man/animal partnership into practice to support this preservation endeavour.
The domaine du val reserve
