Animals of our mountains

Day 1 afternoon: Wild animals

Visit the Maison des Loups in Orlu: come howl with the Wolves….
Meet wolf packs evolving in the heart of the forest wild frontier.
Discover wolves: from Europe, Canada, the Arctic and Poland.
Watch a feeding session with commentary, and learn more about the behavior and social life of these superb, much-maligned animals. The tour is self-guided and includes:
– the barefoot trail to feel the pulse of the earth!
– the sound station to listen to fabulous tales about the wolf.
– themed trails (tracks, ornithological, botanical) for a closer look at the mountain environment.
On a semi-guided tour, you can pet and brush the animals on Monsieur Seguin’s educational farm, race the wolf and take part in the gold panning workshop.
Grace the vision tunnel, and children can get up close and personal, in complete safety. They’ll experience a magical, privileged tête-à-tête with the wolves.
Optional souvenir of this wonderful day: leave with a wolf’s paw print!!
A more detailed sheet will be sent to you.

Day 2: Walk in the Orlu Reserve to “observe the wild animals”:

isards, marmots, large birds of prey … in the company of nature guides from the Maison de la Réserve – Observatoire de la montagne.

The Orlu Reserve discovery trail is an excellent way to discover “in real life” what the museum has already enabled you to approach. The Observatoire de la montagne has also been awarded the “Maison de la Réserve” label.

Mountain guides will bring children along to observe and discover biodiversity.
The hike is suitable for all ages. Nature guides from the Maison de la Réserve offer different approaches: discovering the mountain, reading the landscape, the particularities of mountain fauna (isard, marmot, capercaillie, bearded vulture…), flora… etc.
To bring: walking shoes, backpack, water bottle, warm clothing. In case of bad weather, picnics and indoor activities are available.

Day 3: An unusual animal in our mountains: llamas

10:00 am: Welcome in the village of Saleix: choice of workshops: 3 to 4 for the day
– Guided tour, in the meadows the park among the free-roaming llamas, around the discovery of the animal: behavior, feeding, reproduction, use … and other secrets (1 to 2 hours).
– Contact and care of the animals, brushing and feeding (1 hour)
– Activities on the history of wool, demonstrations, creation of llama wool objects to take home : spinning or weaving (1 hour)
– Discovery of local flora (1 hour)
– Activities focusing on the environment and sustainable agriculture in the mountainous areas of the Pyrenees and the Andes Mountains
– Workshop on the culture of the Andean peoples, using llama their wool and clothing (1 hour)
– Lunging llamas led by children around Saleix (1 to 4 hours)
The village of Saleix can only be reached with a 30-seater bus, otherwise access on foot for around 30 minutes.

Day 4: Salmonids, visit to the Aston aquaculture farm

– Learn about the aquatic environment and preserve it
– Gain an appreciation of the natural environment to encourage respect for it and act differently
– Discover the different species of salmonids and the work of a passionate breeder.

Tasting our products: Contribute to the promotion of the breeder’s work. Discover and eat healthy, minimally processed products, direct from the producer.

ACTIVITIES:

Tour of the aquaculture farm:

-the importance of water and the quality of the Aston River
-the operation of a fish farm (defeuilleur, basins, feeding, small equipment…)
the life of salmonids on our farm (from egg to processing)

Pond fishing: Explanation of how to use equipment and bait, the importance of calm and
observation. Children can try their hand at fishing. We provide the fishing tackle and each child will be able to catch 2 trout. Help from the on-site leader and supervisors.
Trout can be taken away or left on site.