✨ Notre-Dame, an urban wildlife sanctuary reborn. ✨Thanks to LPO France (BirdLife France), the official reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral last December brings hope for the return of several protected species, such as the Common Krestel and pipistrelle bats. 🦇
More than just a cathedral, Notre-Dame de Paris is an urban ecosystem. Its towering structure and countless hidden crevices offer a sanctuary to species that have adapted to the challenges of city life. The façade’s original openings, designed in the Middle Ages to accommodate construction beams, have become essential nesting sites for birds.
As Paris modernised, the cathedral became an important refuge, as other nesting and wildlife sites in the city diminished. For example, the Common Kestrel population in Paris has dropped to under 30 pairs, and House Sparrows have declined by 75% in just two decades.
The devastating fire on April 15, 2019, which destroyed a significant part of the cathedral, drove away much of the wildlife that had long inhabited its surroundings. Fortunately, LPO was committed to ensuring Notre-Dame once again became a sanctuary for wildlife.
Since 2022, the organization has been working closely with the teams responsible for rebuilding Notre-Dame, integrating ecological considerations into the restoration efforts. This collaboration included technical assessments to identify and evaluate potential nesting sites, along with proposals for habitat enhancements. Construction teams and artisans have received training to recognise and protect wildlife during their work, while LPO naturalists conduct regular inventories of the species present on the site.
🌿 The efforts to restore Notre-Dame as both a cultural and ecological treasure highlight the potential for harmony between heritage preservation and biodiversity conservation. The restored cathedral stands not only as a testament to architectural resilience but also as a beacon of hope for urban wildlife, proving that even in the heart of a bustling city, nature can find a home.
"𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑃𝑂 𝑖𝑠 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑟𝑒-𝐷𝑎𝑚𝑒. 𝐶𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒, 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑤𝑒 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠," says Allain Bougrain Dubourg, President of the LPO.
📷 1. Yves Gestraud, LPO 2., 3. Lejeune
#RestoreNature #notredameparis #culturalheritage
