Orne Lorraine Confluences. Half-price hedges for all residents: the major planting operation is relaunched.

"In France, despite all the efforts, there are still more hedges destroyed than planted," laments Alexandre Portmann, head of the Lorraine Wildlife Conservation Center (CSFL) . To curb this trend, the Orne Lorraine Confluences (OLC) inter-municipal authority has taken the habit of financing 50% of the purchase of shrubs in the fall. "It's really one of our desires to act locally to revegetate the region," specifies Valentine Gigout, PCAET (Territorial Climate-Air-Energy Plan) and environment officer at OLC.

Starting September 22nd and continuing through the end of October, residents, businesses, farmers, and municipalities in the area can purchase 19 species at the preferential rate of €3 instead of €6 at designated collection points. Selected species can be ordered individually or in kits and will be available for collection from the CSFL in Valleroy in early December.

"With the Haies Lorraines operation, we're managing to stabilize their quantity in the sector." Last year alone, 2,700 shrubs were sold. "If we could reach an average of 2,500 plantings, or two kilometers of hedges, that would be good," hopes Alexandre Portmann. "A hedge provides protection, a home, it provides food... It's a biotope in itself. It's really important for the landscape, biodiversity, and all species." Not to mention the human species, for whom a hedge represents, among other things, an island of coolness and a good defense against ice jams.

This action is in line with the primary missions of the Valleroy rescue center and helps support the care of wild animals. "It's important to us because it's good to treat and release animals, but into what? The environment where we release them is also very important."