{"id":6834,"date":"2026-07-13T12:41:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T10:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/missiontomarsh.org\/wetland\/naturpark-camargue\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T09:54:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T07:54:20","slug":"naturpark-camargue","status":"publish","type":"wetland","link":"https:\/\/missiontomarsh.org\/en\/wetland\/naturpark-camargue\/","title":{"rendered":"Camargue Nature Park"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-6834","wetland","type-wetland","status-publish","hentry","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":{"wetland_country":"France","wetland_state":"","wetland_latitude":43.53841219012869,"wetland_longitude":4.656741407197647,"wetland_pois_geojson":"","wetland_hero_image":6806,"wetland_hero_image_copyright":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_type":"Alluvial delta wetland. For millennia, the Rh\u00f4ne has been carrying sediment into the Mediterranean Sea, thereby continuously building up new land\u2014while the sea simultaneously erodes the coastline. The result is a geologically young, dynamic delta landscape. Peat formation occurs locally: In permanently water-filled, anaerobic areas\u2014particularly in mariscus marshes (cladiaies) and reed beds (roseli\u00e8res)\u2014dead plant material accumulates as peat. This process differs fundamentally from that of raised bog peat: instead of peat moss, it is marisque (Cladium mariscus) and reed (Phragmites australis) that form the peat body. ","wetland_usp":"France\u2019s only flamingo breeding ground, the country\u2019s first Ramsar site, and the birthplace of the Ramsar Convention\u2014the largest delta wetland in Western Europe.","wetland_size":"PNR Camargue: 106.000 ha, Ramsar-Gebiett: 100.788 ha, RNN Camargue: 13.117 ha, K\u00fcstenlinie: mehr als 70 km Sandk\u00fcste.","wetland_status":"Ramsar Site since December 1, 1986\u2014France\u2019s very first Ramsar Site, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Natura 2000 site, RNN Camargue","wetland_landscape":"A mosaic landscape comprising six clearly distinguishable wetland types: Sansouire (salt steppe), reed beds (Roseli\u00e8re), marisque marsh (Cladiaie), coastal lagoons, Mediterranean temporary marsh (Mare temporaire), and wet meadows\u2014all embedded in a system of canals, dikes, and rice paddies that actively help shape the hydrological balance.","wetland_authorities":"PNR Camargue, SNPN (Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Nationale de Protection de la Nature), Tour du Valat, Conservatoire du Littoral","wetland_infrastructure":"","wetland_accessibility":"The Mas du Pont de Rousty Visitor Center is accessible to people with disabilities. ","wetland_dogs":"Dogs are not allowed in the core areas of the protected zones (RNN); on the SNPN\u2019s 20-km coastal trail, dogs must be kept on a leash during the off-season and are completely prohibited during the peak season.","wetland_public_transport":"","wetland_road_conditions":"","wetland_parking":"PNR Visitor Center: Mas du Pont de Rousty, Chemin 6895, 13200 Arles","wetland_parking_name_1":"","wetland_parking_name_2":"","wetland_parking_name_3":"","wetland_parking_address_1":"","wetland_parking_address_2":"","wetland_parking_address_3":"","wetland_parking_latitude_1":"","wetland_parking_latitude_2":"","wetland_parking_latitude_3":"","wetland_parking_longitude_1":"","wetland_parking_longitude_2":"","wetland_parking_longitude_3":"","wetland_parking_price_1":"","wetland_parking_price_2":"","wetland_parking_price_3":"","wetland_description":"Where<\/span> the Rh\u00f4ne flows into the Mediterranean, <\/span>France\u2019s <\/span>\u2014and one of <\/span>the most ecologically significant <\/span> Wetlands of Western Europe. The Camargue <\/span>is not <\/span>single ecosystem, but rather a <\/span>constantly shifting <\/span>mosaic landscape consisting of <\/span>salt marshes, reed beds, and coastal <\/span>lagoons, <\/span>temporary shallow pools, and <\/span> Wet meadows. No other place <\/span>France's <\/span>accounts for 75% of all <\/span>native waterbird species. <\/span>The Camargue accounts for more than half <\/span>all those found in France <\/span>Bird species\u2014including ten species of herons, <\/span>27 species of ducks and geese and 31 <\/span>Wading birds. <\/span> And here's another unique feature that makes the <\/span>Areas around the world <\/span>announces: The Camargue is the <\/span>the only breeding ground for the greater flamingo in <\/span>All of France. <\/span>Anyone who has ever walked across the \u00c9tang in early summer <\/span>de Vaccar\u00e8s looks <\/span>and thousands of flamingos in the shallow <\/span>Anyone who sees water standing there understands immediately, <\/span>Why is this area of the <\/span>first French <\/span>Ramsar Site of Historical Significance <\/span>was.<\/span>","wetland_highlights":"The Camargue marshlands are divided into several clearly distinguishable habitat types that are directly interconnected. The sansouire\u2014that characteristic salt-tolerant semi-shrubby area consisting of glasswort (Salicornia) and beach sedges\u2014defines the transition zone between open water and dry land. In addition, the reed beds (Roseli\u00e8res) are of particular ecological importance for breeding colonies of reed-nesting birds and also form the basis of a centuries-old tradition: reed harvesting, known as \u201csagne\u201d in Occitan. Among the marsh habitats, it is primarily the mariscus swamps (Cladiaies) where peat can accumulate\u2014the only true peat-forming process in the entire Camargue system. An ongoing research project by the Tour du Valat (2024\u20132025) is systematically mapping all peat areas in the Rh\u00f4ne Delta for the first time. The Mediterranean temporary marshes (Mares temporaires) are among the six priority habitats of the Camargue Natura 2000 site and are home to spring flora unique in Europe. The visitor center of the Camargue National Reserve is located at the historic Mas du Pont de Rousty farmstead, from which visitors can explore nature trails, observation platforms, and a 20-kilometer coastal hiking trail. ","wetland_seasons":"Spring (March\u2013May):<\/strong> Flamingo breeding, heron colonies, Mediterranean spring flora in the temporary marshes.\n\nSummer (June\u2013August):<\/strong> peak biodiversity, but also the highest visitor numbers.\n\nFall (September\u2013November):<\/strong> migratory birds; one-third of all ducks in France overwinter here starting in September.\n\nWinter:<\/strong> a tranquil landscape of waders and ducks.","wetland_history_1_original_condition":"An active delta that has been continuously forming since ancient times. A shifting mosaic of wetlands that depends on the Rh\u00f4ne\u2019s flood cycles. The Camargue emerged as a distinct geographical region when the Rh\u00f4ne split into the Grand Rh\u00f4ne and the Petit Rh\u00f4ne. ","wetland_history_2_land_use_history_begin":"Centuries of multiple land uses: salt production, extensive grazing, reed harvesting, fishing, and hunting; since the 19th century, industrial rice cultivation, which significantly altered the water balance and, paradoxically, now contributes to the preservation of freshwater wetlands because the rice fields are irrigated year-round.","wetland_history_3_industrial_degradation":"Large-scale drainage and groundwater lowering since the 20th century. Changes in flood dynamics due to Rh\u00f4ne dikes; chemical pollution from pesticides used in rice cultivation. Changes in salinity due to intensive irrigation. ","wetland_history_4_visible_degradation_traces":"Dense networks of canals and dikes throughout the delta, with locally dried-out peatlands. Loss of wet meadows due to the abandonment of extensive grazing. ","wetland_history_5_turning_point_protection":"","wetland_history_6_measure_rewetting":"Active water level management in the four large marsh basins via a system of locks and pumps. Ongoing restoration of wet meadows in the \u201cTrois Marais\u201d through the rewetting of previously drained areas. ","wetland_history_7_measure_scrub_clearing":"Maintenance of the open Sansouire areas and wet meadows through grazing by Camargue horses and cattle. Control of invasive woody plants in transitional areas. ","wetland_history_8_recovery_status":"Not just a simple restoration area, but a wetland system that is actively managed on an ongoing basis. The biggest challenges currently facing the area are rising sea levels (coastal erosion), climate change (more frequent droughts and extreme weather events), and the protection of the peatlands in the delta. ","wetland_gallery_image_01":6808,"wetland_gallery_image_02":6809,"wetland_gallery_image_03":6810,"wetland_gallery_image_04":6811,"wetland_gallery_image_05":6812,"wetland_gallery_copyright_01":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_02":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_03":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_04":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_05":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_image_06":6813,"wetland_gallery_image_07":6814,"wetland_gallery_image_08":6815,"wetland_gallery_image_09":6816,"wetland_gallery_image_10":6817,"wetland_gallery_copyright_06":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_07":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_08":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_09":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_10":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_image_11":6818,"wetland_gallery_image_12":6819,"wetland_gallery_image_13":6820,"wetland_gallery_image_14":6821,"wetland_gallery_image_15":6822,"wetland_gallery_copyright_11":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_12":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_13":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_14":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_15":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_image_16":6823,"wetland_gallery_image_17":6824,"wetland_gallery_image_18":6826,"wetland_gallery_image_19":6827,"wetland_gallery_image_20":6828,"wetland_gallery_copyright_16":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_17":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_18":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_19":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_gallery_copyright_20":"Mission to Marsh","wetland_flora_image_1":6830,"wetland_flora_image_2":6831,"wetland_flora_image_3":6832,"wetland_flora_name_1":"Reed Grass (Cladium mariscus)","wetland_flora_name_2":"Reed (Phragmites australis)","wetland_flora_name_3":"Samphire (Salicornia europaea)","wetland_flora_description_1":"The common rush is the dominant peat-forming plant in the marshes and is protected at the national level.","wetland_flora_description_2":"Reeds form extensive reed beds and are the basis of traditional reed harvesting.","wetland_flora_description_3":"Samphire, also known as sea asparagus, is a halophytic pioneer plant. It survives in highly saline soils that are hostile to almost all other plants. ","wetland_fauna_image_1":6657,"wetland_fauna_image_2":6586,"wetland_fauna_image_3":6659,"wetland_fauna_name_1":"Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)","wetland_fauna_name_2":"European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis)","wetland_fauna_name_3":"Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)","wetland_fauna_description_1":"The only breeding ground in France; feeds on microscopic crustaceans in hypersaline waters.","wetland_fauna_description_2":"The most significant remaining population on the French Mediterranean coast.","wetland_fauna_description_3":"It nests in the reed beds; other reed-dwelling birds include the bittern and the little bittern.","wetland_trail_link_1":"","wetland_trail_link_2":"","wetland_trail_link_3":"","wetland_trail_link_4":"","wetland_trail_link_5":"","wetland_partner_logo_1":"","wetland_partner_logo_2":"","wetland_partner_logo_3":"","wetland_partner_logo_4":"","wetland_partner_name_1":"","wetland_partner_name_2":"","wetland_partner_name_3":"","wetland_partner_name_4":"","wetland_partner_activity_1":"","wetland_partner_activity_2":"","wetland_partner_activity_3":"","wetland_partner_activity_4":"","wetland_partner_link_1":"","wetland_partner_link_2":"","wetland_partner_link_3":"","wetland_partner_link_4":"","wetland_post_image_1":"","wetland_post_image_2":"","wetland_post_image_3":"","wetland_post_image_4":"","wetland_post_title_1":"","wetland_post_title_2":"","wetland_post_title_3":"","wetland_post_title_4":"","wetland_post_teaser_1":"","wetland_post_teaser_2":"","wetland_post_teaser_3":"","wetland_post_teaser_4":"","wetland_post_link_1":"","wetland_post_link_2":"","wetland_post_link_3":"","wetland_post_link_4":"","wetland_conversation_is_enabled":false,"wetland_character":"","wetland_conversation_intro":"","wetland_is_hidden_moor":false,"wetland_is_visible":true},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/missiontomarsh.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wetland\/6834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/missiontomarsh.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wetland"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/missiontomarsh.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wetland"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missiontomarsh.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/missiontomarsh.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wetland\/6834\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7256,"href":"https:\/\/missiontomarsh.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wetland\/6834\/revisions\/7256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/missiontomarsh.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}