Regional nature park Scarpe-Schelde
The Regional Nature Park Scarpe-Schelde ( French Parc naturel régional Scarpe-Escaut ) extends in the French department Nord in the Hauts-de-France region . It is located in the border area with Belgium , Wallonia Region , Hainaut Province .
The natural park, founded in 1968, was the first of its kind in France. It covers an area of 43,000 hectares. 48 municipalities form the park, 12 more are associated and represent a total catchment area of around 160,000 inhabitants. The territory, which is characterized by a relatively flat elevation profile, is strongly characterized by a dense network of watercourses. The Schelde , Scarpe and the Canal de Pommeroeul à Condé are the main arteries, of which widely branched sewer and drainage ditches bear witness to the earlier use for mining and industrial development.
The nature park today comprises a colorful mosaic of landforms, such as pastureland , wetlands , swamps , forests , but also villages and small towns. In the near-natural core zones there is an abundance of animal populations worthy of protection, including a particular wealth of bird species.
The park administration is based in Saint-Amand-les-Eaux ( 50 ° 25 ′ 34 ″ N , 3 ° 27 ′ 24 ″ E, ).
Cross-border cooperation
The Belgian nature park Scheldt Plains ( French Parc naturel des Plaines de l'Escaut ) was founded in 1996 by the Walloon regional administration . Subsequently, the two neighboring nature parks have merged to form the border-crossing nature park Hainaut ( French Parc naturel transfrontalier du Hainaut ).
See also
Web links
- Regional Nature Park Scarpe-Schelde (French)
- Scheldt Plains Nature Park in Belgium (French)