THE ASTRAGALUS' FOOTPATH

The Astragalus’Footpath

  STEP 1 :
Farmers use to cultivate corn and oats and they bred sheep on this hillsides.
However, these lands have been abandoned for economic reasons.
On the initiative of the regional Nature conservancy,
a system of ovine grazing has been restored in 2002 in Giverny
to protect the typical species of the calcareous hillside grasslands.

STEP 2 :
The slopes allow here terraced vegetation as you can see :
grassland at the bottom, and them limestone land and short grassland,
where you can find little blue butterflies (The Chalk Hill Blue)
and on the plateau, there is a forest.
This is a mountain like vegetation.

STEP 3 :
Farmers use to remove stones for vineyards
and piled them up out of their land.
Here the vegetation is very different because of the proximity of fields.
The soil is artificially enriched and you can see ivy or black eldertrees.
This tree was sacred because elderberries have medicinal properties.
they can be use to make a jam, elder wine or syrup.

STEP 4 :
there are many orchids among the typical flowers of the chalk grassland.
For example, the Fly Orchid takes its name from the resemblance of the flowers
to an insect, which have landed on a stalk.
Another pink flowered plant grows in Giverny : the Montpelier Milk-Vetch.
This Mediterranean species is extremely rare in Northern France.

STEP 5 :
Here you can find deadwood but it is found wanting in most of the managed forests.
This is a threat for the rich and original biodiversity like insects,
birds or mushrooms insofar as the forest suffers a loss af habitats and food.
Oaktrees have a funny form like a little basin..

STEP 6 :
Chalk grassland is composed of plants, which are used to the drought and poor soil.
On a Mahaleb Cherrytree, you can find a great butterfly named Scarse Swallowtail.
The female lays its eggs on this shrub, but if the hillside is timbered,
the shrub, which needs a fair amount of sunlight, will disappear,
and so will thi butterfly.