A stroll around the Observatory

This rather preserved stream and the damp grasslands that border it harbour a remarkable diversity of plants and animals. There is a water spring and precious natural environments in this very dry environment and in some sections, the presence of many rare and protected species: European pond turtle, White-clawed crayfish, Dwarf bulrush (water plant), Souffia (fish) and Mediterranean barbel ... The banks and riparian vegetation are sometimes in poor conditions due to past work.

If you look to the west, a vast plain extends before you in which natural meadows remain. These "flowering meadows" are made of quality flora to feed herds. Often located on areas at risk of flooding, the grass grows naturally. One of these meadows has been evaluated by a panel of student farmers and was awarded at the International Agricultural Show in Paris in March 2016.

Kept for the production of acorns and the renewal of forests, some trees measure more than 50cm in diameter. Several hundred years old, they carry with them the signs of aging. A true social housing for insects and bats, these residents occupy the slots and holes made by woodpeckers. To preserve the wood cuts, the trees were inventoried and marked with a white triangle.

Dated from the 12th century, this tower is classified a historical monument. In the archives, this tower is reported as a barn. It therefore certainly stored crops but probably also served as a watchtower. In 1861, it was converted into a chapel by the owner back then, Léon de Berluc-Perussis. The stone door calls to linger. A village of a dozen families had settled around the tower in the early 17th century.

The traditional extensive grazing is key to the conservation of this unique ecosystem. It keeps dry grasslands and juniper formations which intertwine. These open areas have considerably reduced since the late 19th century due to agricultural decline and plantations. Support of pastoralism allows the annual renewal of grass resource for the herd and the diverse flora despite the extreme conditions.

In the St Jean Chapel and the surrounding sheds, bats of the Lesser Horseshoe Bat species find there favourable conditions to their development. A true maternity ward, these buildings, heated by the sun, are suitable places for birthing and nursing the young from April to August. Please do not disturb them.

The Observatoire de Haute-Provence (OHP) of the CNRS (the French National Center for Scientific Research) founded in 1937 is famous internationally for excellence in astronomy (exoplanet researchespecially: the first discovery in 1995 using the telescope of 1.93 m and its spectrograph Sophie»). also known as atmospheric science (study of the ozone layer) and ecology (O3HP). Very active in the dissemination of scientific culture, it receives more than 11000 visitors per year.

In astronomy and astrophysics, the site hosts several instruments, including the telescope of 1.93m in diameter that led to the discovery of the first exoplanet; it features an innovative spectrograph which ranks among the best in the world.

Do not dig, there is only limestone. Here the soil is not deep, the calacil is thin. And so, each crack is an opportunity for an acorn to find something to root on and grow on a holm oak. Slow growing, it measures up to 30cm in diameter despite being a centenarian. To prevent water loss through evaporation, this species has evolved over thousands of years by keeping small leaves.

On the site of the Observatoire de Haute-Provence, O3HP (Oak Observatory at OHP) studies the dynamics, functioning and biodiversity of the forest of pubescent oakagainst the climate changes. ambitious project to predict future changes through a gateway instrumented system, a rain exclusion system,and sensor network (temperature, humidity ...).

In atmospheric sciences: the geophysics station is one of the largest global network of detection of changes in atmospheric composition (NDACC). The measurements are performed by LIDARs (including a laser), spectrometers and weather balloons. A tower 100m high, allows the multiple sampling on the composition of the air.

This walk goes through a wide basin, slightly hilly, consisting of a real landscape mosaic. This diversity is related to the sporadic presence of rock and water that allowed the development in certain areas of lush farming. This bucolic landscape is embellished with vast panoramas of the Luberon to the south, the Lure mountain to the north and the Alps to the east. The villages, with their well marked outline, are located on rocky spurs on the outskirts of the valley.