version anglaise du site principale

Ille-et-Vilaine has a very varied number of environments. There are rocky points, sand dunes, wooded valleys, peat bogs etc, each of them home to specific flora that delights a multitude of wild animals.
Numerous protected species of animals and plants live and reproduce in the unspoilt environment of Ille-et-Vilaine. In all, 2,500 hectares of land belonging to the département are covered by conservation orders and shown at their very best.
As present, 50 ?natural areas? are open to the general public. Although they are ideal places for walking or observing the native flora and fauna, their ecosystems nevertheless remain very fragile.
Lien vers la carte des 50 espaces naturels d'Ille-et-Vilaine.

Animals consisting mainly of endangered species are used to maintain the land.
Black and white Breton cows, sheep from the Breton moors, ditch goats, Mulassier horses and mules from Poitou, and Breton post horses can be seen in the various ?natural areas?.
Highland cattle are also part of the scenery in Ille-et-Vilaine. They are not an endangered species but they are particularly suitable for grazing in wetland pastures and marshy meadows.

As you walk over Ille-et-Vilaine's ?natural areas? during the summer, you will notice some plots of land that have not yet been mown. This is not the sign of a lack of maintenance; it is an example of a practice that encourages biodiversity. Late mowing allows for the flowering and fruiting of rare or outstanding plants such as meadow sage or bee orchids.
Moreover, late mowing preserves butterfly populations by providing them with ideal breeding conditions.