On the track of the European mink in Marsac!

The public outing took place in Marsac as part of the animation of the Natura 2000 site “Vallée de la Charente en Amont d’Angoulême” managed by the LPO since 2012. The richness of this site being numerous, the outing was focused on one of its major issues, as you will have understood: the European Mink.

Through the intervention of GREGE and LPO specialists, the participants had the opportunity to discover the ecology of this discreet little mammal threatened with extinction as well as all the actions implemented for its safeguard within the framework of the LIFE VISON program.

It was also an opportunity to learn about the results of the telemetric monitoring of the four minks equipped in Charente: Maya, Mellëa, Gwen and Badu.

The males show an impressive ability to travel, exploiting home ranges of up to 70 km of waterways. On the other hand, females tend to occupy a more restricted territory. This is the case of Mellëa who chose to settle in Marsac last summer to give birth to a mink.

Mellëa et son petit ©LPO/GREGE/LIFEVISON

A new playground for the European mink

The wanderings of the valiant troop led them to a communal plot of land that had benefited from a restoration project, led this summer by the LIFE VISON teams. Where there was a post-agricultural wasteland, a pond and a nice set of wet depressions filled with water are now visible to the walkers. The next inventories of the naturalist experts will tell us if frogs and toads have taken up residence in these new habitats, but the environment seems to be well on the way to becoming a major food source for the European mink.

Even if, throughout the outing, no specimen deigned to show the tip of its snout, the species being very secretive and mainly nocturnal, the participants came out of this excursion rich in knowledge!

Animation LIFE VISON Marsac ©LPO/LIFEVISON/A.Meunier

Contact

LIFE VISON project Coordinator Ingrid Marchand, PHONE : +33 5 46 82 12 45 ADDRESS : LPO – Les Fonderies Royales, 8-10 rue du Docteur Pujos – CS 90263 – 17305 Rochefort

In order to detect new European mink, the LIFE teams have set up a citizen science project open to all!

A participative science platform

The purpose of this platform is to quickly classify the animal species present on series of images taken from camera traps.

Loutre d’europe – ©LIFE VISON

This tool is open to all and will allow the program teams to take the necessary measures in favor of the European Mink, if it is spotted in new areas.

In addition, you will also find on the site a quick tutorial on how to use it as well as a discussion forum, to talk about your finds and/or ask questions.

LIEN –> https://lifevison.fr/zooniverse

Want to know more ?

Feel free to contact us ! We’ll be pleased to awnser your questions !

Contact

COORDINATRICE DU PROJET LIFE VISON Ingrid Marchand, TÉLÉPHONE : +33 5 46 82 12 45 ADRESSE : LPO – Les Fonderies Royales, 8-10 rue du Docteur Pujos – CS 90263 – 17305 Rochefort

Two local authorities have joined forces with the teams of the European LIFE VISON program to work towards the preservation of the European mink, associated species and their habitats.

Towards the joint development of simplified management plans…

One of the major objectives of the LIFE VISON program is to restore habitats and continuitiesfavorable to European Mink and associated species of community interest (European Otter, etc.). In this perspective, it is proposed to the voluntary communities, to benefit from advice allowing them to set up conservation and restoration actions integrating local issues (ecological, socio-economic, etc.).

It is within this context that the communes of Mouthiers-sur-Boëme and Chaniers, concerned about the ecological stakes existing on the territory, signed an agreement with the LPO following the deliberation of the municipal councils. Having at heart the preservation of their natural and cultural heritage, these two municipalities, respectively located in Charente and Charente-Maritime, wish to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity and human activities.

Thus, in association with the LPO, they are initiating an innovative environmental approach, based on local synergies, the first step of the joint elaboration of simplified management plans on the communal plots. Once these management documents have been drawn up, they will benefit, in particular, from support and financial assistance in the implementation of some of the recommended operations on the agreed plots.

Parcelle communale de Mouthiers-sur-Boëme © S.Fagart /LPO/ LIFE VISON

Discovering the ecological richness of the territory…

Currently, fauna and flora inventories are being carried out by the naturalist experts of the LPO. The objective? To establish an initial diagnosis of the biodiversity present on the municipal plots of land under agreement. This will contribute, in particular, to identify the conservation stakes and to recommend management measures in adequacy with the ecological requirements of the European mink and the associated species. In addition, thanks to these assessments, the municipalities involved will have a more in-depth knowledge of the diversity of flora and fauna on their plots.

By adopting this approach, these pioneering communities offer users the opportunity to rediscover their local heritage and to marvel at the beauty of the ecological richness of the Charente River and its tributaries. Let’s hope that the mobilization of the communities, the users and the actors of the territory will allow the European mink to travel more easily along the valley!/p>

Inventaire faunistique sur une parcelle de la commune de Chaniers

Want to know more ?

Feel free to contact us ! We’ll be pleased to awnser your questions !

Contact

COORDINATRICE DU PROJET LIFE VISON Ingrid Marchand, TÉLÉPHONE : +33 5 46 82 12 45 ADRESSE : LPO – Les Fonderies Royales, 8-10 rue du Docteur Pujos – CS 90263 – 17305 Rochefort

The closing seminar of the LIFE LUTREOLA SPAIN programme, which focused on the preservation of the European mink in Spain, took place on November 6th in Bilbao.

4 years of actions dedicated to the European mink

During 4 years,the LIFE LUTREOLA SPAIN programme strived to preserve the European mink in 3 Spanish departments: the Navarre, the Rioja and the Basque country.

This programme had implemented two main actions:

– Eradicate the American mink in the LIFE project area

– Increase the viability of the wild European mink population by reintroducing new individuals

A successful closure seminar

130 people attended the seminar, during which the Spanish team shared their experiences learned during the LIFE programme and presented the necessary actions for the conservation of the species in the future.

Contact

Ingrid Marchand
PHONE: +33 5 46 82 12 45
ADRESS: LPO – Les Fonderies Royales, 8-10 rue du Docteur Pujos – CS 90263 – 17305 Rochefort