The forest of the Tarn covers today 28% of the surface area of the department – some 164,000 hectares: it plays an important role in the economy. The processing of wood employs 3500 people in the Tarn: loggers, sawyers, joiners, carpenters, cabinet makers…… and, in the country, most people use wood to heat their houses. The oak is here the most widespread tree, followed by the chestnut tree . Unfortunately, in recent years, the chestnut tree has been badly hit by canker, and could disappear in time if the spread of the disease isn’t stopped. A lot of other trees are to be found in the woods: the beech, the hornbeam, the ash. Conifers on the other hand account for only a quarter of the total number of trees – mostly spruces and Douglas firs.
The Gresigne (3,500 hectares) is a national forest, but in the areas around, there are still pockets of privately owned land. You will recognise them easily enough: the owners have flagged them up with notices ‘private hunting’ and ‘mushroom gathering forbidden’. As in all the forests in France, hunting is allowed from the second Sunday in September to the last day of February; here the wild boar and roe deer in particular. But here, unlike in other regions, it is very clearly indicated at the entry points to these areas when hunting is actually taking place. Hunting rangers from the ONF (the National Office for Forests) monitor the forest very closely.
In the Tarn, the forestry commission takes into account the need to pass on a natural heritage, recognising the different roles of the forest and the rhythm of nature: a poplar only needs 15 years to reach maturity, an oak needs 100, and hence the advantage of producing wood for working and for high quality cabinet making. The Gresigne forest is a ‘Natura 2000’ site - one of the designated protected areas in which certain animal species are protected to conserve biodiversity. In the Gresigne, it is especially about beetles and other invertebrates which proliferate in the old forests where the trees remain in one spot until their natural death and decomposition. You can also find some wonderful butterflies – also on the path to extermination – and rare species of bats. You can also come across salamanders and crayfish, once widespread throughout France, but now becoming much rarer. The natural history museum at Gaillac has an outstanding collection of insects.
In season – and providing there has been rain – the whole world, from those who live close to the forest to those who come from further afield in the department, even Toulouse, descends on the forest to pick mushrooms – cepes, chanterelles, the horn of plenty…there are obviously mushrooms which are not edible, even deadly!.. so don’t even think about it unless you’re a knowledgeable mushroom lover! Admire also all the lovely orchids and other flowers in the forest and on the fringes of the woods, but please don’t pick them! The Tarn is also a great region for bird watching.
Are you a nature lover? Then an eco-friendly holiday near the forest of the Tarn will suit you. Our B&B is barely 3 kilometres from the Gresigne forest. The guest house and its rooms are charming and spacious; we try to keep our carbon footprint as low as possible, however, without compromising comfort or quality of materials. Our food is great: often our guest ask Liliane to write down her recipes – you can find some on our French web site.
The neighbourhood of our bed and breakfast is a paradise for walkers and cyclists: forest, country side, the Gaillac vineyards... Of course, we love walking ourselves, and we possess a large documentation on nature, and a lot of descriptions on walking trips or cycling in the Tarn, for your reference. We offer also great walking arrangements.
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