Marais nature reserve
Rules for visitors
The reserve is accessible all year long (in winter according to snow conditions).
The trail is wheelchair accessible, but there is a lawn area which in some periods is very humid and therefore, losing compactness, it can be difficult to access for a wheelchair.
The Centre can be visited by schools and researchers by appointment.
Periodically, conferences with popularization purposes are organized.
An interesting habitat, a resting place for migratory birds after high altitude journeys
The site, consisting of a short stretch of the Dora Baltea river and its alluvial plain, is located at a height of 890 meters between the villages of La Salle and Morgex and has a typical vegetation of water-rich environments. On the left bank of the river lies a path of approximately 250 m in brushed concrete, as well as a 220 m walkway in the forest on a catwalk in chestnut.
Flora: the banks of the dam are thick with reeds, while at some distance from the water arise alders, willows, poplars. Among the flowers, you can find the yellow buttercup.
Fauna: this area is a stop over for migratory birds linked to wet environments; mallards, moorhens and marsh warblers nest here.
Visit: The best period to visit the Reserve is during the migratory seasons of spring and autumn, not only for the sighting of the ornithological fauna but also for the luxuriance of its woods’ undergrowth.
The visit can start on the left bank, entering from the S.S. 26 state road. Here, a sign with the site plan supplies varied information to welcome the visitor. The shore can be reached in few minutes and from the equipped shed, it is possible to observe the fauna halting over the flooding waters. A well-marked pedestrian path directs the visitor towards an elevated footbridge which crosses the hygrophilous forest until it reaches a small islet at the site’s exit, rich in plant species in full activity. The same path is used for the return.
Scientific and naturalistic research centre
Operational headquarters of the “Regional Museum of Natural Sciences Efisio Noussan” of Saint-Pierre, the centre of scientific and naturalistic research is in the immediate vicinity of the natural reserve of the Marais. The Centre is responsible for the management and maintenance of the collections and the library, the activity of scientific research and teaching.
In the museum labs research projects in various areas are developed and promoted, from the study and conservation of the natural and agricultural biodiversity, enhancement of museum collections, as well as educational and training projects.
The library has over 6000 books, from naturalistic texts to scientific and information journals published by universities, scientific and environmental associations, Italian and foreign museums, obtained primarily in exchange with the “Revue Valdôtaine d’Histoire Naturelle”, published by the Société de la Flore Valdôtaine.