Greater Montauban: a territory with remarkable biodiversity

Since 2017, phytosanitary products have been banned in gardens and vegetated areas accessible to the public. Thus, the city’s parks and gardens department has replaced these products with the implementation of alternative techniques known as soft and selective (mechanical and thermal weeding). It is a management of green spaces closer to nature and respectful of the environment.

In addition, in certain areas of the city, such as around the Ingréo swimming pool and in front of the Marché Gare, a differentiated mowing system has been introduced, so that certain areas are only mowed once or twice a year, thus encouraging the growth of certain orchids, but also enriching the flora and providing sufficient resources for pollinating insects

This technique, known as “soft”, makes it possible to fight certain pests by using their natural enemy. In the outdoor environment, ladybugs have been released in the Rose Garden to control aphids. Along the green corridor and the banks of the Tarn River, the installation of nests of a particular species of wasp limits the proliferation of the white planthopper.

A giant floating nest in the heart of the city: the Ile de la Pissote and its heron colony

This island, which stretches for about 500 meters downstream from the Pont Vieux, owes its name to a small stream flowing into the Tarn between the mouth of the Tescou and the Laguarrigue stream. While only two centuries ago the island hosted bathing establishments, today it is forbidden to land there. The island is even part of a Natura 2000 zone, i.e. a zone where the fauna and flora are remarkable and whose conservation must be compatible with human activities. Every year, from March onwards, dozens of herons of various species come to nest there, ignoring the urban agitation.