A “green” destination, Vals de Saintonge is ideal for a range of activities that enable you to observe nature and get close to the animal world.
Discover the world of the Baudet du Poitou.
Just a few km from Dampierre-sur-Boutonne, on the edge of the forest, is the home of the Baudet du Poitou, an “Échappées Nature” site. Here you’ll discover, on a typically Saintongeais farm, the oldest breed of donkey in France, recognisable by their long tangled hair. There are activities for children and adults, groups or families. Go for a stroll and get to know these “rasta donkeys” with, in your hand, a fun yet pedagogic quiz for the children.
A guide will show you the various areas and provide explanations so as to better understand the conservation programme; stroke the young donkeys with their silky coats that play around in their fields. Young and old alike can share the privilege of caring for these docile and lovable creatures. Tempted by a walk in harmony with nature and an unusual companion? Then opt for a carriage ride at the speed of a draft horse or Poitevin mule in the surrounding woods, take your toddlers on a fun-packed ride on donkey-back or just simply let yourselves soak up the bucolic atmosphere of a walk with an unusual companion, the Baudet du Poitou – who also carries your picnic!
Rendezvous at the Marronniers educational
Year-round, ten or so volunteers are at work in the heart of this pedagogic farm in Cressé, 8km from Matha. A site where, in an ambiance of sharing and exchange, all kinds of animals are welcomed and where the visitor can get to know the boarders and prepare for their adoption. Parents and children can thus get close to, feed and stroke about a hundred animals: goats, rabbits, chicken, guinea-pigs, calves …
Depending on the season, a visit to the farm includes events and workshops in line with what Mother Nature has to offer: sheep-shearing and creation of a bracelet from their wool, building an insect hotel or making a beeswax candle with produce from the honey house. Our universe, filled with gentleness and affection is also fun-packed with numerous play areas in wood and other recycled materials, midway between a garden and a kitchen-garden. We can “privatise” the site for a birthday or other occasion!
Some ideas for nature visits and discovering animals
The bicycle is the perfect partner to discover the flora and fauna nestling in the Saintongeais countryside. At Saint-Savinien, visit the Prairie de Montalet, an area of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest where you can observe migratory birds and botanical species that are typical of the wetlands bordering the Charente, such as the snake’s-head fritillary that flower in their thousands at the start of spring. Continue your visit to the delightful village of Coulonges-sur-Charente where you can walk across the marshes to get close to the storks.
Let yourself be guided!
Enjoy family-oriented nature days escorted by naturalists keen to help you discover our exceptional local flora and fauna, often protected.
The French Society of Orchidophiles arranges visits in the Trézence valley, a natural area of 970ha, one of the biggest in Charente-Maritime, that is home to a range of animals and plants such as the European otter and orchids.
Every year the LPO (French equivalent of RSPB) invites young and old to a twilight event held in the quarries around Saint-Savinien where bats have discovered an ideal spot to hibernate peacefully. This event, held in keeping with the international European night of the bat during the last weekend of August enables visitors to observe, listen to and immerse themselves in the mysterious world of these little-known nocturnal species.
Les Chaumes de Sèchebec, between Bords and Saint-Savinien, a 40ha chalk plateau classified Natura 2000, are known by botanists for their remarkable ecological diversity. Free access but events and guided visits also take place in this natural area with a botanical specificity recalling that of the garrigue (scrubland) of Provence. It is home to numerous plant species of which some are only found in on this site in Charente-Maritime (yellow cornflower, wild linseed, Cantabrian bindweed …) Butterflies and other insects of European interest and endangered species of birds such as Montagu’s harrier, Pitchou’s warbler or the black-eared kite also find refuge here. The “Antenne Nature Loisirs Patrimoine” society welcomes those of an inquiring mind to explore and appreciate the biodiversity of the Antenne valley, full of surprising discoveries. European mink, otters, genets, orchids, fungi, moths … nature here has a rich and abundant variety of flora and fauna.
Young and old, take the time to enjoy the journey, open your eyes wide, listen carefully… Genuine experiences and unexpected encounters await!