A first week exploring the meadows of the Pays de la Loire region in summer

In August, Pierre-Lou travelled through the landscapes of the Pays de la Loire region, from the Mayenne bocage in the north to the Breton marshes, passing through the Basses Vallées Angevines and the floodplains along the banks of the river Loire.

This trip was an occasion to discover and immerse himself in the region’s grassland landscapes, which are being studied as part of the SUPRAGRASS project. Where grasslands still remain, familiar landscapes of pastures, fallow land and hay meadows stretch out, populated by a few herds of Rouge des Prés or Maraichine cattle, roe deer, hares, butterflies and birds. In the distance, the calls of the stone curlews at dusk, the trilling cries of the European bee-eaters or the alarm call of the white-tailed eagle, like a flash against the solid blue backdrop of the sweltering sky. Temperatures of 40°C were forecast for Angers. This summer, the landscapes were marked by intense drought, whilst certain water gauges – reminders of the great floods – indicated the record levels reached by the Loire during the floods of winter 2026.

SUPRAGRASS is an interdisciplinary scientific project coordinated by the University of Angers. It explores the vital role of grasslands in agriculture and the environment with a view to proposing solutions for adapting to climate change.