La world wetlands day takes place on February 2, 2025, but in France these special places are celebrated every February. This is why Lauragais Tourisme and the intercommunality of Lauragais lands joined forces on Saturday, February 15, to offer an outing on this theme at Thesauque lake. More than thirty participants responded to walk alongside Anthony and Patrick, our guides for the morning.
At 9:00 a.m., the sun is already there: the participants arrive little by little. Anthony and Patrick introduce themselves. One is head of the Natural Heritage department, the other Green spaces team leader and he has also been running the integration site which works on the site. Patrick therefore knows the lake like the back of his hand. They both work at Terres du Lauragais, this inter-municipal authority which has chosen to apply in 2023 for the national label " Territory committed to Nature "They are passionate and want to share their passion with us that morning, the fruit of their carefully considered, coordinated and planned work.
Making humans and animals coexist
Even though this lake is very busy in summer because Swimming is allowed there, this did not stop Anthony and his team from thinking about a management in favor of biodiversity. The two are not incompatible after all! From the area where the sports equipment is set up, and under the eyes of a dozen large cormorants, Patrick shows us a superb silver poplar, one of the remarkable trees on the lake.
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Great Cormorant ®Bernard Laviron
« From there, we enter a future sensitive natural space " warns Anthony. He explains to us the different actions he has put in place: leaving certain dead trees in place, which provide shelter for an immense biodiversity such as the great capricorn beetle, impressive, but totally harmless! Anthony has also established partnerships, notably with the Museum of Natural History. " For the site to become a Sensitive Natural Area, monitoring populations is essential. Thus, we identify, count, and transmit all our data to scientists. Recently, we were able to observe the coronella snake, said Patrick. We have placed reptile plaques on certain parts of the site which allow these populations to be monitored.".
preserve ecosystems
The walk continues, and we stop again: this time, we are no longer talking about wetlands, but about "dry meadow", an ecosystem favorable to the development of our beautiful wild orchids, so typical of Lauragais.
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Anthony and the band ![]()
The journey continues ![]()
Wild orchids, observable from May
We cross areas of mud: the lake as it is, is not passable all year round on foot, unless you have boots. This is also part of our thinking: either we leave the path as it is, and in that case, the tour of the lake is not passable in winter, or we do major work and we will stone the path, but in this case, we lose natural area. We have to be able to arbitrate! »
With the help of theAssociation of Trees and Landscapes of Autan, 400 local shrubs were planted early February in an area where there is a sloping agricultural plot. With each heavy rain, the mud runs off and flows into the lake, contributing to the sedimentation of the body of water. This planting strategy is a Nature-Based Solution (NBS), i.e. a natural and sustainable action: the future hedge will be a buffer zone between the agricultural plot and the lake and the roots will contribute to water infiltration.
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Rainwater runs down the slopes of agricultural plots, increasing erosion
We arrive at the tail of the lake. Anthony explains to us the work that has been carried out by the teams of the integration site: restoration of a pond on a private plot, creation of a settling zone to filter the sludge, and above all, establishment of a amphibian monitoring program over three years in partnership with the Natural History Museum. "This part of the lake is a constantly wet area, because it is there that the rainwater runs off. Moreover, the Rivals path, which goes up to the village of Montgeard, is often impassable in winter. " adds Patrick.
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The pond or fishpond, on a private plot, was re-dug to accommodate the overflow of water from the settling area ![]()
The common reed, Phragmite autralis, is a wetland plant. The reed bed plays a role in maintaining the banks
A fragile balance
On this part of the lake, the vegetation is typical of wetlands : phragmites australis reed beds, cattail reed beds, willow groves, alder groves…and of course the famous jusie creeping, the presence of which is proven everywhere but particularly in this place.
Anthony explains that this pretty yellow-flowered plant is an invasive exotic species (an IAS in scientific jargon). Originally from South America, it is taking root everywhere in bodies of water in France, gradually replacing local species. Its rapid development risks eventually eutrophicating the body of water: its development obstructs sunlight, which prevents underwater life from flourishing. It is impossible to eradicate it: only freezing its roots weakens the plant. " adds Patrick.
Suddenly, an animal cry rang out: the ornithologists from the SONE association, who were walking with us, were certain: it was a coot, a duck that often frequents bodies of water but has not been seen at Thésauque for many years. Thanks to a specialized camera, Bernard managed to take a picture of them: it's a pair of coots! Who knows, maybe with a bit of luck, they'll produce a brood in the spring?
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Unexpected joy: the discovery of this pair of Coots paddling in the reeds of the lake! ®Bernard Laviron
Duck nest boxes
The teams from the integration project working on the lake have made four duck nesting boxes. The aim is to encourage the reproduction of these animals, which are victims of predation by Florida turtles, present in large numbers in the lake.
It is not uncommon for an entire clutch to be destroyed by a predator when the eggs are incubated on the ground, in the vegetation at the edge of the lake.
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Duck nest box, also called a “nest tube”
Building while taking care of the living
On the way back, at the place called Les Artis, we noticed that the trees had been cut down. The SDIS (Departmental Fire and Rescue Service) has in fact requested that this area, near a housing development, be cleared in order to limit the risk of fire during periods of drought. " explains Anthony. We plan to replant some trees and we will take advantage of this work to shift the hiking trail a little higher, so that the banks of the lake are as far away as possible from the area of use. The goal is to leave the wildlife in peace »
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A strange feeling when walking in this place, right bank of the lake: with the recurring droughts and heat waves, the firefighters preferred to give prevention instructions. Other trees will be replanted.
It is almost 13pm, time to finish the walk. We pass in front of a large wire mesh enclosure with a few holes for hedgehogs to pass through, which will welcome a flock of sheep between March and November. “It’s eco-grazing and it works very well. " Patrick tells us. « These pretty animals graze and allow, without oil and without manpower, to ensure the maintenance of the place ".
The hedgehogs' passage
Hedgehog populations are experiencing an unprecedented decline. Among the main causes, the partitioning of gardens and spaces is considerably reducing their natural habitat. The home range of a European hedgehog can extend from 10 to 37 hectares: it can travel 2 to 3 km per night to search for food or to conquer a partner.
To know more
We thank all the participants, associations and organizations who joined in this magnificent morning!
We invite you to consult their websites for more information:
- Wetlands : www.zones-humides.org
- Territories committed to nature : engagespourlanature.ofb.fr
- SONE Association (Saint-Orens Nature Environment): www.sone.fr
(Thanks to the hikers for their beautiful photos!)
