Gâtinais Français Regional Nature Park
The Regional Natural Park of Gâtinais français ( fr. Parc naturel régional du Gâtinais français ) is located in the French department of Seine-et-Marne and Essonne in the region of Ile-de-France . The name comes from the name of the Gâtinais landscape located here , which is divided into the parts Gâtinais français and Gâtinais orléanais by the river Loing .
The park extends roughly between the places
- Corbeil-Essonnes in the north,
- Melun in the northeast,
- Nemours in the southeast,
- Le Malesherbois in the southwest and
- Étampes to the west.
To the east is the Fontainebleau Forest Nature Reserve , which together with the Gâtinais Français Regional Nature Park forms the Fontainebleau et Gâtinais Biosphere Reserve .
Park management
The nature park was founded on May 4, 1999 and today covers an area of around 76,600 hectares. The park administration with the "Maison du Parc" is based in Milly-la-Forêt ( 48 ° 24 ′ 16 ″ N , 2 ° 28 ′ 5 ″ E, ). 69 municipalities (as of January 1, 2017) with a catchment area of around 82,000 residents form the park.
Larger places in the park
In the Seine-et-Marne department
In the Essonne department
landscape
The area is also known as the "land of a thousand forest clearings" and is characterized by contrasting landscapes in which forests and smaller trees, valleys and watercourses, forest clearings and agricultural areas alternate. Interesting sandstone rock formations and sand pits are always included. The area has been inhabited since ancient times. The prehistoric people left their traces here, as you can see from the menhirs and dolmens that were found.
The park includes the following natural landscapes :
Levels
- Mondeville Plateau - Videlles
- Bière plain
- Chevannes Plain
Forest areas
- Bois de Malabri, northeast of Maisse
- Bois de Milly, west of Milly-la-Forêt
- Bois de Turelles, east of Courances
- Forêt de la Commanderie north of Larchant
- Forêt des Trois Pignons, northeast of Noisy-sur-École
