Conference and debate on hedgerows

Join us on Tuesday, March 10th at 7:00 PM at the Michel-Canoville Cultural Center for the first conference and discussion of the year. While the theme for the 2026 conferences and discussions focuses on the plant heritage of La Hague, this first conference will address hedgerows, a key feature of the La Hague landscape and a haven for biodiversity. The conference will be led by Marine Levrard of the French Hedgerow Network.

Living heritage in distress 

Manche is the department with the highest density of hedgerows in France. This rich heritage is a true marker of the territory, with significant added value. The hedges that make up this bocage provide multiple benefits: environmental, whether as windbreaks for animals or crops, improving water quality; ecological; aesthetic; and economic, through biomass production.

Their proper maintenance depends on sustainable practices, replanting, and maximizing the benefits they provide. However, often seen as a burden, they have been removed, cut down, and pruned haphazardly. The DREAL (Regional Directorate for the Environment, Planning and Housing) has calculated that their decline has reached 1200 km per year in the English Channel alone (equivalent to the distance between Rouen and Rome as the crow flies!).

Réseau Haies France is a national association stemming from pioneering structures that have been working for trees and hedges for over 40 years.

The La Hague lecture and debate series, part of the cultural program, offers an annual opportunity for discussion and reflection with renowned specialists on current events. These lectures aim to foster knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes that empower individuals to become responsible actors contributing to a more sustainable world.