Protect biodiversity in the depths of suburbia

"The activities of Initiatives-Environnement, carried out with limited financial resources but considerable enthusiasm, are exemplary in terms of their environmental didactic content and the development of contact and social ties throughout the municipality. The association's members' knowledge, devotion, and passion are worthy of support to enable them to continue their actions in a zone that is renowned for anything but its wealth of natural assets."

Philippe Brion

Seine-Saint-Denis is also home to natural riches that need to be protected. Bordered by two branches of the Seine, the municipality of L'Ile-Saint-Denis has an extensive variety of wild plants in its gardens and along its banks moored with barges. Among other aquatic species, the great cormorants winter in the river bank wilds.
It is this diversity that the Initiatives-Environnement association wants to protect and generate greater awareness of through two projects it is launching in 2006. Development of part of the "curate's garden" (a former wasteland made available to the association by the diocese and converted in a teaching garden), the installation of descriptive labels explaining the origins and qualities of each plant species, and creation of an itinerant exhibition to help generate awareness: in both cases, the aim is foster good eco-citizen behavior, especially among the neighborhood youth.

Eco-citizen teaching

The association has already demonstrated its expertise in this area. For the past six years, its has targeted its water, waste and nature in the city activities towards all audiences. It trains young people as environment monitors, works at the foot of buildings to regreen the urban fabric, maintains a dialogue with the local population about their quality of life, cleanness, and good neighborhood relations.

Its local focus and the support provided by the local authorities and its many partners (City Hall, clergy, schools, tenant and other associations, etc.) all contribute to its being able to successfully carry out this new program with a budget of 12 000 euros, financed by the Veolia Foundation (6,000 euros), City Hall (1,000 euros), and the Fonds français pour la nature et l'environnement (5,500 euros).

Other project supported in 2012

Initiatives Environnement
Domain : Environment and Biodiversity
Country : France
Grant : 2012/12/19

Creating educational materials to raise environmental awareness in Île-Saint-Denis.