LA GARE DES RAMIÈRES

It's the home of a National Nature Reserve, an ideal place to learn about the environment. The ramière is home to 46 species of dragonfly, 200 species of butterfly, 200 birds, including 70 migratory birds... Fish, rodents, frogs... Did you know that the Drôme is one of the last wild rivers in Europe without a dam? This explains the great biodiversity of the Réserve naturelle des Ramières. The discovery trail, punctuated by 4 observation stations, can be completed in an hour or two. Touch pools enable you to observe native fish: blageon, chevaine, trout, carp, pike, apron... The tour continues past the educational pond, an astonishing insect spiral, the butterfly meadow, the orchard and finally the famous beaver lodge. A path links the ponds, meadows, banks, islands and all the remarkable sites of this exceptional biotope. During the school year, the site hosts nature discovery classes. Reserve rangers also offer guided tours. As for the boutique, it offers wooden animals, ethical objects and educational books for young and old alike.
The reserve's emblematic animal remains the beaver(Castor fiber), with around twenty families on site. This rodent, the largest in Europe, is distinguished from the others by its flat tail covered in scales. A nocturnal animal, during the day it lives in its network of burrows and burrow-huts. It moves mainly in water, rarely straying more than 30 meters from its home. It feeds on aquatic plants, white willows and black poplars, which it cuts down in the Nature Reserve. Once the branches have been cut, the beaver carries them to a refectory on the water's edge. The Gare des Ramières team regularly observes the beaver, taking photos and monitoring individuals and reproduction. Good news: the return of the otter is confirmed at the Ramière d'Allex site, where it can be seen in the Drôme river. The European otter began its return to the region from populations in the western Massif Central, thanks to its legal protection in 1972. It took fifteen years for the otter to cross the Ardèche department. La Gare organizes events throughout the year, including the Fête de la Nature (May), the Journées du Patrimoine (September) and the Fête de la Science (October). Theme outings, on frogs, beavers, nature photography, etc...