Monts d'Ardèche Regional Natural Park
Natural environments Monts d'Ardèche Regional Natural Park
Otter, genet, golden eagle, lilies and wild tulips...
From the southern valleys to the snowy peaks of the Mézenc, the natural richness of the Park is abundant and often fragile. The Park aims to find out more about and protect these environments and these species.
The river people
The rivers of the Ardèche are populated with a multitude of fish and water animals, sign that very high-quality water flows through the valleys. Fargio trout, southern catfish and river crayfish share the riverbeds with beavers and otters, which have returned to the Monts d'Ardèche. In the small pools formed in the bowl-shaped rocks, we can find yellow-bellied singing toads: if you look carefully at this batrachian you will see its pupils are heart-shaped.
The peat bogs of the Tanargue
On the Tanargue plateau in the southern Cévenne, as well as in Montselgues, you can visit peat bogs and discover completely different vegetation, in particular a carnivore plant called Sundew. On this plateau, a beautiful natural area, you can find beech and fir forests, as well as moors. These large areas form the last summer pastures of the Natural park, and around 1500 sheep go there to graze every summer.
Cold flora and southern flora
When travelling across the Ardèche mountains, one can observe magnificent wild tulips and discover blueberry bushes nestled in the forest. Monkshood blooms in fallen beech wood on steep slopes. In the lauze quarries of the Mézenc from time to time one can spot the rare leucophile groundsel.
Further south, a few silver-washed fritillaries settle on carnations, martagon lilies, digitalis, etc.
