Pointe des Emigrés nature reserve
The Pointe des Emigrés site, located on the shores of the Gulf of Morbihan, at the Vannes, Vincin and Séné River mouths, belongs to the Conservatoire du Littoral (coastal protection society) and is run by the town council.
La Pointe des Emigrés is located in the district of Vannes, on the shores of the Gulf of Morbihan, at the Vannes, Vincin and Séné River mouths. It is bordered immediately to the north by the urban area. The whole site covers an area of approximately 30 hectares of marshland, in addition to the mud flats and the adjacent seagrass beds.
This reserve belongs to the Conservatoire du Littoral et Rivages Lacustres and is run by Vannes town council. A management agreement was signed in 1987, entrusting the maintenance of the site to the council.
The council's goal in running the site is to allow the Pointe des Emigrés, which is just a stone's throw from the town, to retain its biodiversity, and remain open for the benefit of the general public. Its special quality stems from the variety of habitats that merge together in a relatively limited space:
- marshland,
- mud flats on its southern edge,
- wooded areas
- meadowland
- heathland
Grazing of the meadows
A multitude of flowers and grasses grow in the driest meadows (St John's wort, musk mallow, meadow clover…). Some plants prefer damper ground, for example bulrushes, spearwort, willow or the prize of the Pointe des Emigrés: wild orchids (green-winged orchid, early purple orchid).
The meadows of the Pointe des Emigrés are grazed by two Poitou donkeys (Mistral and Madison, see photo) and two Landes de Bretagne sheep (Gibbule and Littorine). These animals prevent scrub from encroaching in the plots and improve the diversity of the fauna and flora. This grazing also produces excellent natural fertilizer.