Fête de la Nature en Seine-Saint-Denis

The Fête de la Nature in Seine-Saint-Denis: Discovering Urban Nature

Every year at the end of May, Seine-Saint-Denis joins the Fête de la Nature, a national event created in 2007 by the network of Offices for Insects and their Environment (OPIE). In this dense and urbanized department, this festival takes on a special dimension: it reveals the unsuspected natural richness of an area often perceived as a green desert. Departmental parks, community gardens, tree-lined town centers, vegetated wasteland areas: nature is present everywhere in Seine-Saint-Denis, and the Fête de la Nature is the ideal opportunity to discover it.

Departmental Parks, Heart of the Fête de la Nature

The Departmental Council of Seine-Saint-Denis's Directorate of Nature, Landscape, and Biodiversity is a major player in the Fête de la Nature in the 93. The departmental parks, covering a considerable area within the urban fabric, offer a dense program of nature activities accessible to all on the last weekend of May:

At Parc Montreau (Montreuil / Romainville), guides offer birdwatching walks on Saturdays to discover the park's nesting birds, workshops on the secrets of trees and plant biodiversity, and introductions to composting and pollinator observation in the horticultural garden. These free activities attract many families who discover unsuspected species in their daily environment.

At the Parc Forestier du Bois de l'Étoile in Gagny, a festive family day is organized: pony rides, participatory green exchange, nature quizzes, biodiversity inventories, and sheep shearing demonstrations. This wooded setting, on the border of Seine-Saint-Denis and Seine-et-Marne, offers an environment conducive to discovering wilder nature.

Sound Trails to Listen to Nature

The 2025 edition in Aulnay-sous-Bois offered an original sensory experience: the "Listen to Nature" sound walk, co-hosted by an ecologist and a sound artist. Participants were invited to close their eyes, lend an ear, and discover the soundscape of local biodiversity: bird songs, insect noises, rustling leaves, water sounds. This artistic and scientific approach to nature generated great enthusiasm and allowed urban residents to reconnect with their natural environment.

Community Gardens and Urban Farms

Seine-Saint-Denis has a growing number of community gardens and urban farms participating in the Fête de la Nature. These spaces, often linked to neighborhood associations, offer open houses, market gardening workshops, introductions to urban beekeeping, and visits to community composting sites. They illustrate the dynamic of reclaiming nature by city dwellers in dense areas and contribute to a better understanding of environmental issues.

Seine-Saint-Denis, Territory of Urban Nature

Seine-Saint-Denis is a pilot territory for urban nature in France. The department was the first to develop a differentiated management plan for its green spaces, promoting biodiversity over closely mown lawns. Ecological corridors, preserved wetlands, restored ponds, and maintained forest edges make the 93 a laboratory for the nature city, of which the Fête de la Nature is the most accessible annual showcase for the general public.