In 2014, during my tour of France, I had the opportunity to go to Nantes twice. The first time, with a loaned car during a quick weekend at the home of family friends, was the occasion to document the large demonstration of February 22 against a project of the Great West airport in Loire-Atlantique in Notre-Dame-des-Landes exactly. Tens of thousands of people and dozens of associations involved in this struggle, some of whom came from all over France and even from abroad, formed an endless procession that marched for hours. The end of the day was also marked by clashes with the police and various forms of damage, as has often been the case in recent years.
And the second time, a few months later by bike, allowed me to discover the wetland of Notre-Dame-des-Landes (located at about thirty km from the metropolis) and its ZAD (before: Zone d'Aménagement Différée, administrative definition, and now: Zone À Défendre, definition of the environmental activists). The occupation of the ZAD was organised to protest against this project, which was already forty years old at the time and which wanted to build a new airport here. It would replace the current airport, which is considered too small and whose close proximity is a nuisance for the town. It would be built at Notre-Dame-des-Landes on 2000 hectares of meadows and a wetland that is home to many protected species.
As I could not stay too long (less than 3 days in the end) because the itinerary to accomplish the Tour de France is long, I knew that I would not have the possibility to do a serious work on the ZAD and its inhabitants, the "zadists". These people, supported by a few locals, are opposed to this future airport, which they consider to be one of the "grands travaux inutiles" (great useless works). It is also an opportunity for them to experiment with a new form of non-market society and mutual aid.
On the other hand, by going there on the second Sunday of the month, I had a good chance to make a small report on the tour organised by the "Naturalistes en lutte". This is a collective of naturalists, 200 of whom 50 are experts (along with citizens, some of whom are members of several environmental protection associations) who have decided to join forces to defend a preserved wetland. Thanks to their decisive counter-expertise, they have become a key player in the fight against the airport project. This monthly outing, during which a census is taken, is open to everyone, from the curious to activists who want to participate in the fight against the airport project.
On that day, the "Naturalists in on the Defensive" (ornithology, herpetology (reptiles) and batrachology groups) who are surveying the wetland to inventory the species and their diversity, were able to hear or observe:
Birds: Whinchat, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Cetti's Warbler, Yellow Sparrow, Grey Cuckoo, Black Warbler, Tree Pipit, Spotted Woodpecker, and Common Buzzard.
And also: Green lizard, Wall lizard, Green frog, Lessona frog, Agile frog.
A very good day in the company of a trained botanist and passionate naturalists. Greetings to them!
On 17 January 2018, the NDDL airport project was buried by Emmanuel Macron's government. Here, a wikipedia link to recall the different stages of this long story.
Note that a few months later we will document the story of Sivens in the Tarn: a struggle against a dam project on a wetland. See the reports on this site of : The Battle of Sivens (France).
Enjoy your viewing!
In 2014, during my tour of France, I had the opportunity to go to Nantes twice. The first time, with a loaned car during a quick weekend at the home of family friends, was the occasion to document the large demonstration of February 22 against a project of the Great West airport in Loire-Atlantique in Notre-Dame-des-Landes exactly. Tens of thousands of people and dozens of associations involved in this struggle, some of whom came from all over France and even from abroad, formed an endless procession that marched for hours. The end of the day was also marked by clashes with the police and various forms of damage, as has often been the case in recent years.
And the second time, a few months later by bike, allowed me to discover the wetland of Notre-Dame-des-Landes (located at about thirty km from the metropolis) and its ZAD (before: Zone d'Aménagement Différée, administrative definition, and now: Zone À Défendre, definition of the environmental activists). The occupation of the ZAD was organised to protest against this project, which was already forty years old at the time and which wanted to build a new airport here. It would replace the current airport, which is considered too small and whose close proximity is a nuisance for the town. It would be built at Notre-Dame-des-Landes on 2000 hectares of meadows and a wetland that is home to many protected species.