Natural prairies
East of the Boufflers and Praillebard ponds, formerly cultivated lands situated on the Civrieux and Monthieux villages have been reinstated as natural prairies in 1990 and in 1998, for a total of 16 ha of prairies surrounding these ponds and serving as areas for nesting and feeding some water birds, ducks and waders in particular (not comprising grassy ditches mainly west of the Praillebard pond, representing a further 1,5 ha).
The Vernange domain, comprising 12.3 ha of lands that were farmed until 1980, became covered with bushes. Following their purchase by the Fondation in 1993, management has been changed and now 4 to 5 ha are maintained as prairies.
In 2014, we established a prairie over a formerly farmed land north-east of the Page pond over close to 4 ha, for a total of around 25 ha of prairies or fallow that are maintained by the Foundation. There is also a grazed meadow of 9 ha situated at the place called l’Herbage in Saint Jean de Thurigneux, left as a farmer lease.
