Biodiversity conservation

The campuses of the University of Savoie Mont Blanc are home to biodiversity that is certainly ordinary but often unsuspected. Nestled in the heart of larger areas, within urban centers or close to preserved natural spaces, they are essential transit points for wildlife. Protecting these biodiversity refuges is a duty, but sharing this mission with students and staff is the best way to ensure that the projects implemented are adopted by everyone and, above all, to instill in each person the right actions to take. The actions carried out on campus must be exemplary of what can be done everywhere so that everyone can be a player in a world that respects life.

Examples of actions carried out at USMB

  • Inventory of biodiversity on the Jacob-Bellecombette campus
  • Nature activities led by students from the VALPESMONT professional degree program: restoration of a wetland, birdhouse workshop, etc.
  • Installation by DirPat of five beehives on the Jacob-Bellecombette campus
  • Signing of a partnership agreement with the LPO (League for the Protection of Birds) for the LPO refuge certification of the Jacob-Bellecombette and Bourget-du-Lac campuses.
  • Participatory inventory of biodiversity on the Bourget-du-Lac campus
  • Project supervised by students from the VALPESMONT professional bachelor's degree program on the green, blue, and black infrastructure of the Bourget-du-Lac campus.
  • Birdhouse activity and conference organized by the LPO on the Bourget-du-Lac campus
  • Development of a Biodiversity 2020 action plan by the Heritage Department
  • Planting a Micro Fruit Forest using the Miyawaki method on the Bourget campus

 

The micro fruit forest on the Bourget University campus

Project awarded in the 2021 "Biodiversity & Energy Transition" student competition organized by USMB

mfbref

mfCreate a plot of land planted with trees, fruit trees, and high-density vegetation. Inspired by a reforestation technique developed by Japanese botanist Akira MYAWAKI and techniques for creating "fruit forests." The aim of this project is to create a biodiversity refuge and improve the green corridors that run through the campus. But this planting technique also has the advantage of accelerating growth 3 to 10 times faster than a conventional forest, thanks to the connections and interactions between different species, fungi, and bacteria. Finally, among the many strengths of this method, a microforest is much more resilient because the natural diversity found there (more than thirty different species) and the population density (3 trees per square meter) mean that it is much less impacted by monoculture pests and stores water reserves better in the soil and in its overall volume. It also has the advantage of creating an island of coolness and acting as a local thermoregulator.

Fruit forests and/or food forests developed with the emergence of permaculture. Permaculture is a systemic concept that aims to create "permanent" food-producing ecosystems. The idea here is to use these techniques to add a fruit-bearing perimeter to the microforest, i.e., a border of trees and shrubs that are mainly fruit-bearing. These trees will thus benefit from the advantages generated by the microforest and may have a nutritional use that is of additional interest to us.

lieumf

  1. Soil analysis and enrichment.
    A quick soil analysis allows us to prepare the soil. It was prepared in the spring so that trees could be planted in late fall. It takes a good six months to start reviving the soil by adding a thick layer of wood chips, compost, and other green waste.
  1. Planting.
    It is important to know the species present near the planting site. These are mainly plant species planted in the heart of the microforest. Reproductive trees are identified and selected in the region. The idea is to work with a "seed bank" characteristic of the terroir. The outer part, the edge, is planted (about two-thirds) with several hardy fruit varieties that are also local. However, part of it is planted "experimentally" with fruit species from warmer environments (almond, pomegranate, hardy lemon trees, etc.) because they should be better adapted to global warming, which is expected to increase in the coming decades. The planting density is three plants per square meter (which makes 600 trees for a typical 200 m² plot). It is identical in concentration across the entire plot.

    These two points are characteristic of plantations using the MYAWAKI technique, which closely mimics what occurs naturally.

    Fig. 3: Plantation structure

figuremf

 

  1. Management
    Management is minimal because everything must be put in place so that this micro-ecosystem can self-regulate as quickly as possible. Management consists of checking that the plants do not dry out during the first summer and replenishing the ground cover so that there is always sufficient thickness to keep it moist and full of life. Pruning may be carried out during the first three years for the fruit species around the perimeter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

An oasis of freshness in a highly urbanized area.

The planting density (3 trees per square meter) provides a refuge for many small and large animal species (mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, etc.). In addition, thanks to its central location in an urban area surrounded by trees, this biodiversity refuge serves as an ecological corridor for animal species that need to move around.

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tree

Names of some fruit trees 

Post | luminessens

  • Latin: Malus pumila
  • symbolic:
    • Preference: promises beautiful fruit from its flower
  • beliefs // mythology:
    • The dragon Ladon and the Hesperides, daughters of Atlas, protect the precious hidden apples because they hold the secret to beauty and immortality for the gods who eat them. Hercules must bring back "these golden apples" to complete his 12 labors. He asks Nereus, the sea god, to show him the way. Reluctantly, he directs him to Atlas, who will be able to help him. Once he has found the way, Hercules kills the dragon with an arrow. He takes the place of the giant (Atlas) and supports the vault of heaven. Relieved of this task, Atlas wants to bring the apples to Eurystheus. However, Hercules pretends that he cannot bear the weight of the vault of heaven, which threatens to collapse. Atlas takes his place back while Hercules picks up the apples and leaves.
    • Newton, sitting under an apple tree, saw an apple fall. He then reflected on the laws of universal gravitation and the planetary system.
    • Discord, not having been invited to the wedding of Thetis, threw onto the table an apple inscribed "To the fairest," which Paris had given to Venus. This caused controversy between Juno and Minerva. They incited the Greeks to declare war on Troy.
  • saying:
    • "To fall on one's head," head = head in 19th-century slang or palm = palm
  • consumption: :

The Peach Tree; the symbolism of peaches (luminessens.org)

  • Originates from China before Persia
  • Latin: Prunus persica ( L.) Batsch / Persian apple, Italian peach
  • symbolic:
    • immortality according to Taoist tradition
    • love, married according to Chinese culture
    • by rotting, cures goiter according to a Sicilian superstition
  • myths and legends:
    • The peach trees of the Queen Mother of the West bloomed every 3,000 years and granted immortality to those who ate their fruit.
    • ward off demons and evil spirits
  • consumption:
    • May-September
    • cream cheese with ladyfingers
    • cherry and basil fritters
    • fruit skewer with chocolate sauce

Post | luminessens

  • Latin: Prunus amygdalus
  • symbolic:
    • carelessness: the first to bloom, it is often destroyed by late frosts
  • beliefs // mythology:
    • Demophon, son of Theseus and Phaedra, was thrown by a storm onto the coast of Thrace, where Phyllis reigned. She welcomed him, fell in love with him, and married him. He left to attend his father's funeral. He promised to return a month later. She waited for him. She died of grief and was turned into an almond tree. Three months later, he returned. He sacrificed himself on the seashore. She seemed touched by his repentance and his return, for she suddenly blossomed. By this effort, she proved that death had not been able to change her.

Plum tree

Post | luminessens

  • Latin: Prunus domestica L.
  • symbolic:
    • Independence: less docile than other trees because it cannot be transplanted but grafted onto apricot trees.
    • Promise: keep it, fulfill it, otherwise it's better not to commit.
  • belief mythology:

The young girls of Breb shook the plum tree, imagining that it was the boy they desired, threatened by a spell cast at the end of this ritual. Marika of Breb placed the fallen plums under her pillow, dreamed about them, and tried to guess who her future husband would be. She dreamed that her future mother-in-law was offering her candy. The boy in question asked permission to leave the mine to marry her.

  • saying: ne pas donner une prune = to assign no value
  • consumption:
    • June to November
    • Apple, strawberry, and plum papillote
    • Reine-Claude plum cobbler
    • Mirabelle plum tart with cardamom Sautéed chicken with mirabelle plums

 

The Vine symbolism (luminessens.org)

  • Native to Asia, replanted in the 3rd century.
  • Latin: Vitis vinifera L.
  • symbolic:
    • intoxication, pleasure, and repentance alon Anacharsis
  • beliefs // mythology:
    • Bacchus (Dionysus in Greek), god of wine and vines, travels on his donkey accompanied by the Bacchantes, nymphs with a procession of fauns. They are crowned with plants and carry the thyrsus, a staff wrapped in ivy and vine leaves, topped with a pine cone symbolizing Bacchus. Together, they sing and dance to the rhythm of cymbals, drums, and pan pipes. The Bacchantes, drunk with wine, dance wildly and naked, making Bacchus regret having given the vine to the world.
    • According to the Egyptians, the vine was born from the blood of giants, which would explain the fury caused by drunkenness.
  • Consumption:
  • September–October
    • Roasted Camembert with grapes
    • Spicy chicken salad with grapes and walnuts
    • Strawberry and rhubarb verrine with chia seeds
    • Rustic apple pie

Discover our recipes (lesfruitsetlegumesfrais.com)

The Pear Tree, the Tree of Hera (luminessens.org)

  • Latin: Pyrus communis L.
    • symbolic
  • symbolic:
    • Flowers: mourning, the fleeting nature of existence in China
    • Love and temptation
  • beliefs // mythology:
    • Fruit dedicated to Venus
    • Charms of love
    • Dedicated to Hera, whose effigy was made of this wood
  • saying / motto:
  • "Conspiracy, treachery, and selfishness are dishonest enemies..."
  • Consumption:
  • From July to August
    • Applesauce
    • Smoothie (with apples and kiwis)
    • Cake (Poiris-Brest)
    • Lamb's lettuce, pistachio, pear, and fresh goat cheese salad:

 

https://www.luminessens.org/post/2017/03/02/le-figuier

  • Latin: Figus carica L.
  • symbolic:
    • Abundance
  • beliefs // mythology:
    • The god Mars and Rhea Silvia had Romulus and Remus. They placed them in a basket on the Tiber River. Because she was the daughter of Numitor and destined to remain a virgin so as not to produce any offspring, Amulius, being her uncle, feared that her descendants would dethrone him. The children were saved by a nursing wolf at the foot of a fig tree, which protected them with its reassuring shade and served as a natural cradle, feeding them. The milk from the fig tree was said to resemble breast milk.
    • At the end of the 19th century in Dauphiné and VIlars, locals believed that eating figs caused lice.
  • Consumption:
  • From August to October
    • Cheesecake with fresh cheese, figs, and walnuts
    • Lorraine fig
    • Fresh antipasti platter
    • Duck breast with fresh figs

 

https://www.luminessens.org/post/2017/02/17/le-cerisier

  • Latin: Prunus avium L.
  • symbolic:
    • Good training is the best response to the arborist's care.
    • Warrior vocation, Japanese samurai
    • Pure happiness, wedding in Japan
  • beliefs // mythology:
  • The ancient Lithuanians believed that the demon Kirnis was the guardian of the cherry tree. Therefore, it was important to avoid approaching them. The Albanians burn cherry tree branches during the nights of the new sun, symbolizing the hidden demons that prevent vegetation from growing. They keep the ashes to fertilize the vines.
  • Consumption:
  • From May to August
    • Cherry marshmallow waffle cone with fresh fruit
    • Angel mousse and cherry confit, caramelized almonds
    • Summer fruit smoothie bowl
    • Apricot, gorgonzola, and cherry bruschetta

The service tree

https://www.luminessens.org/post/2017/02/17/le-cerisier

  • Latin: Sorbus torminalis.
  • symbolic:
  • https://www.luminessens.org/post/l-alisier
  • Emma Falcon, in The Language of Flowers (Théodore Lefèvre Publisher, 1860): Accord and harmony, played on musical instruments
    • r
  • beliefs // mythology:
  • Hanging service tree leaves above the head of a person affected by scrofula, characterized by redness and flaking of the face.
  • Review of Ancient Studies. Volume 22, 1920, no. 3. pp. 204-206: Toponymy Alsace, Allisaca, comes from alisier (service tree)
  • Consumption:
  • The wild service tree: best wild fruits – Le Chemin de la Nature: https://www.lechemindelanature.com/2020/12/08/alisier-torminal/#:~:text=The wild service tree or sorb tree (Sorbus torminalis) provides tannins and is traditionally known to treat colic.
    • Overripe fruit = too ripe • Raw
    • Jam
    • Compote
    • Young leaves in salads have a bitter almond taste.

The bird catcher's rowan tree

  • Latin: L Sorbus aucuparia.
  • symbolic:
  • https://www.luminessens.org/post/2017/09/07/le-sorbier
    • Louise Cortambert and Louis-Aimé Martin, authors of The Language of Flowers(Société belge de librairie, 1842): • Prudence, it bears fruit when it has reached full strength and the frosts have passed, harvested in winter.
  • beliefs // mythology:
    • Véronique Barrau and Richard Ely, authors of Les Plantes des fées (Éditions Plume de carotte, 2014): • Finnish shepherds carved their staffs from this fruit tree, which they planted in the middle of their flocks to protect them. This wood is considered sacred and represents the nymph Pihlajatar, attendant of the god of the forest.
  • Consumption:
  • September

Alfred Chabert, author of Medicinal and Edible Plants of Savoie (1897, reprinted by Curandera, 1986): • Fragrant apple/pear cider pressed from the fruit of the rowan tree

 

 

Blood dogwood

  • Latin : Cornus sanguinea
  • Duration:
  • grows very slowly and lives for centuries
  • symbolic:
  • Dogwood symbolism: https://www.luminessens.org/post/2017/02/26/le-cornouiller
  • beliefs // mythology:
    • The young prince Polydore dies and turns into a dogwood tree. His blood flows into it, hence its name.
  • Consumption:
  • September–October
    • Soup
    • Cooking oil

Chokeberry

  • Latin: Asimina triloba, northern mango
  • symbolic:
  • Mango | Dr. Hauschka: richness, divine sweetness (Indian)
  • Laurence Pourchez, “Passages. From Hinduism to therapeutic and ritual practices. Illustrations of a process of interculturalization in Réunion”: Fertility (India)
  • beliefs // mythology:
    • Angelo de Gubernatis, author of La Mythologie des plantes ou les légendes du règne végétal, Volume 2 (C. Reinwald Libraire-Éditeur, Paris, 1882),: it is said to be the resting place of Buddha.
  • Consumption:
    • August to October
      • Flood
      • Fruit salad
      • Sauce
      • Cheesecake: How to cook northern mango or Asimine? (pepiniere-vegetal85.fr)

 

The serviceberry

  • Latin: L.
  • Oval-leaved serviceberry
  • symbolic:
    • Freedom of conscience
    • https://guideperrier.ca/laicite-quebec-arbre/#:~:text=L’Amélanchier représente la Liberté de conscience qui surplombe,cheminer librement dans leur développement moral et spirituel.
  • Tree of life, itself a symbol of abundance and fertility
  • https://www.lesvergersdelamelanche.fr/amelanchier-arbre-aux-oiseaux
  • beliefs // mythology:
    • Bird tree
  • Consumption:
  • August to September
    • Muffins
    • Scones
    • Financial
    • Smoothies
    • Compotes
    • liqueur

Planting a micro forest