For Easter, the Commercy National Forest buzzed with laughter from children and their parents. Together, the Parents’ Association of the Jeanne-d’Arc Group and the Artemis 55 Association, which brings together female hunters, organized a large egg hunt right there in the middle of the forest, of a new species.
Discover wildlife
Launched on the tracks, families did not have to find little chocolate eggs but beacons, like a treasure hunt. Each beacon indicated a plastic animal that the children had to find before answering a questionnaire about the way the local animals lived. At the pace of the course, a hundred young participants were able to discover that the crane made its nest on the ground or that the marten was very fond of eggs.
“I don’t understand where to go,” a young girl says to her mother, looking at the plan showing where the beacons are. After a quick look, mom doesn’t seem to be getting much better. They soon find their way back with the help of the other families who prepare to search for this great treasure under the bright spring sun.
“We learned things about nature”
“The kids loved it,” “We learned things about nature,” “It changes traditional egg hunts.” At the end of the road, at the entrance to the forest road, the opinions were unanimous. After a short paragraph in front of a giant rabbit, which gave the test answers by means of a small tape recorder hidden in its back, the children all received a small box of chocolates.
“We saw that Artemis 55 organized this kind of treasure hunt in Vignot, and we thought it would be a good idea to do the same here in Commercy, by pairing it up with our traditional egg hunt,” explained Apel volunteers, welcoming participants. “It is good to work with them, and we already have other entertainment ideas for the coming months, including a large board game on the theme of the environment.”
Share the knowledge of the fisherman
Choosing to put the local fauna at the center of the treasure hunt is no small feat. The Artemis 55 association, made up of hunting enthusiasts, is keen to share its knowledge of nature with as many people as possible, and to raise public awareness of the riches of Meuse’s bioenvironment. Our first educational courses date back to 2018. Today it is our first in Commercy Forest, and we are very pleased with that. We also want to show that we can all live together in the forest: walkers, athletes, hunters, foresters … ”, explains Catherine Berto, president of the association.
