Family walk around the Plan de l'Eau des Bruyères

Depuis de nombreuses générations, les chalets comme ceux constituants le hameau des Bruyères servaient de montagnettes d'été où était fabriqué et stocké le fromage par les habitants de la vallée du Doron des Belleville. Aujourd'hui, ces bâtiments sont devenus restaurants, bars, résidences secondaires...ou toilettes publiques ! Les rouges-queues noirs s'y sont également installés : leur chant rappelant le bruit d'un papier aluminium que l'on froisse est caractéristique, mais ce sont surtout leur mimiques, perchés sur le faît des toits, qui ne les laissent pas passer inaperçus.

All year long, I feed on aquatic insects, molluscs, crustaceans and small fish that I hunt on sight. From November to February, I reproduce on the gravelly bottoms of the Doron and the streams found upstream: the torrents of Lou and Péclet. I lay my eggs there, and the male fertilises them with its milt. The young trout appear in the spring, and rejoin the river downstream which is more favourable to their development. Regular rearing operations carried out by the approved Association of fish and protection of the aquatic environment “the Amicale bellevilloise” helps to support my population.

Here is every child’s favourite pond creature, the common frog (Rana temporaria)! It lives in terrestrial environments throughout the year, except for the breeding periods when it inhabits aquatic environments. As soon as the lakes and ponds have partially thawed, they lay their eggs: floating gelatinous forms containing 1,000 to 4,000 eggs can be seen. The numerous tadpoles that are born, black in colour, gather in the warmest parts of the water sources. It is the most abundant and common amphibian species in Vanoise.

" Did you know that there are ""carnivorous"" plants in Vanoise? As their environment is very poor in assimilable mineral matter, the leaves of the butterwort (or Pinguicula: from the Latin pinguis = sticky) are covered with a greasy-looking coating. Insects get trapped on the plant which then ""digests"" their proteins."

The return path rises slightly above the marsh, providing a view of a complete spectrum of natural environments: meadows, more or less humid woodlands, peat bogs, marshes and ponds. The first factor behind the diversity of these environments is the water contained in the soil. Flowing through the site, the Doron des Belleville also contributes to the presence of diverse natural environments.

Natural habitats such as the wetlands of the Plan de l´Eau have always been used as a living environment, with 15 species protected at national level and 5 natural habitats recognised by the European Union present there. Since 2003 this natural area has benefited from departmental protection under a decree protecting the biotope.

Like all amphibians, the newt ( Triturus alpestris ) is a double agent! The larvae are aquatic, breathing oxygen dissolved in the water using gills; the young and the adults are terrestrial, breathing the oxygen in the air using lungs. This species is very easily observed when it occupies the aquatic environment from April to June. The male has a plain bright orange throat and belly. This protected species can live up to 2,200 m in altitude.