Morillon Les Esserts: Plateau de la Charniaz

In the heart of this fragile natural environment, noise can be a nuisance to both wildlife and other visitors. People come here to rest and recuperate, to listen to the whistle of marmots, the call of a bird of prey or the trickle of a stream. Excessive noise can have harmful consequences for the reproduction and survival of wild animals, so it's important to minimise noise disturbance. It's our "playground", but it’s their home so let's adopt the right attitude!

The white-throated dipper is a small aquatic bird. It has dark brown plumage and a white chest. Its special feature is its ability to dive and swim underwater with its short, rounded wings to obtain food. The dipper nests in rocky crevices along watercourses. The presence of dogs (not kept on a leash) in its environment can be fatal for its chicks. If you listen carefully, you may be lucky enough to hear its melodious song!

This predominantly coniferous forest (fir, spruce, pine and larch) is a key ecosystem in the Alpine landscape. Whether natural or artificially planted, spruce forests have two main functions: to protect soils from erosion and to produce wood. These forests are often threatened by human activities such as logging, agriculture and urban development. These threats generally lead to difficulties in regeneration, to mineralisation of the soil and loss of the microclimatic environment in the undergrowth. Stay on the existing trails to avoid creating new ones!

A nant is a term used to describe a mountain stream. This environment is very difficult for aquatic life. Here you will cross a maze of watercourses ( the Perrière stream, the Cuttaz brook and, further on, the Nant Taffon) that feeds the Giffre, a tributary of the Arve and a sub-tributary of the Rhône. The Giffre originates in the Sixt-Fer-à-cheval nature reserve.