On the morning of Wednesday, May 3, 2000, the group departed the hotel for a full day visit to
The Camarague Regional Nature Park. The park was chartered in 1970 and is located at the mouth of the Rhone River. It extends across the entire river delta area. The Camarague is a major world heritage wetland and is host to many fragile ecosystems. The exceptional biological diversity is the result of water and salt in an "amphibious" land inhabited by numerous species. A boat ride on the Rhone River gave us an opportunity to observe some of the many species of birds that call this area home.
When we arrived at the "manade" the guardians of the park met
us. These local people are in charge of the bull and horse breeding. We were driven out into the park in tractored carts to become acquainted with the daily work of these people whose lives are rich in heritage and park preservation. The group was thrilled with watching the traditional sorting of the bulls, in which the guardians pick a certain bull out of the herd to be sent into the ring for racing. These races have taken place in the Camarague region for centuries. The bulls are never killed and rarely hurt during these games.
After joining the guardians for a traditional lunch, we boarded the bus for the drive back to Aix en
Provence.
