Student Research Workshop

As part of the Student Research Workshop (SRW)supported by Futurs-ACT, a series of podcasts has been produced by students from several associations:

• Duration: Academic year 2022-2023

• Objectives: Production of podcasts on the Landes forest, its description, its particular features, its problems and the potential responses for adapting it to the risks it faces.
  The podcasts include interviews with forestry professionals from the Landes region, such as Sébastien Gendry, deputy director at the Office Nationale des Forêts (ONF) Landes, and Arnaud Sergent, political science researcher at INRAE Bordeaux, as well as interviews with local residents, elected representatives and foresters.

• Student project leaders: Echo’logik (Manon Guyonnet), L’Astragale et la fourmi (Jason Mondésir, Mathieu Faure and Thibault Audouit), and 4P Scienseas (Anouk Champion and Eva Demullier).

• Levels of study: Bachelor’s/Master’s

• Results: Proposed solutions to envisage beneficial developments for the Landes forest, such as diversifying its floral biodiversity. This could improve the forest’s resistance to fire and pests. Political and environmental management are also central to the subject.

Podcast 1: Arnaud Sergent talks about the state of the forest

This is an interview with Arnaud Sergent, a researcher in Sciences-Politiques at INRAE, conducted by Manon Guyonnet of the association écho’logik, in partnership with l’Astragale and La Fourmis, and supported by the Réseau Régional de Recherches Futurs-ACT.

Arnaud Sergent talks to us about the state of the forest: what it is, what is at stake, its reality, its future; but also about forestry policy for the Landes forest, particularly in the wake of the major fires of 2022.

Podcast no. 2: Sébastien Gendry talks about fire safety measures

Sébastien Gendry talks to us about the management of the Landes forest and the measures needed to cope with climate change and the extreme events associated with it, particularly with regard to the major fires of 2022.

Podcast no. 3: Raphaëlle Bats talks about participatory science

Raphaëlle Bats talks to us about participatory science that gets citizens actively involved in science, and in particular the ECODOC project on the Landes forest: the advantages, interest, qualitative concerns, feedback method, etc. of participatory science in the context of the climate emergency in Gironde, particularly in view of the major fires of 2022.

Podcast 4: William Caudron talks about biodiversity

William Caudron talks to us about biodiversity in the Landes de Gascogne, a function of forestry management. How can we prevent the forest from becoming urbanised or turned into large solar farms following the major storms of the last thirty years?

A solution for preserving biodiversity.

• Duration: school years 2022-2023 and +.

• Location: Nay (64)

• Objective: 10% of land managed for free evolution (allowing nature to evolve freely without human intervention) by 2030.

• Coordinating teacher : Mrs Corinne Lamaille

• Level of studies: High school

• Results: Negotiations with 4 town councils and participation in the local authority’s Territorial Climate Air Energy Plan, conferences and radio broadcasts. The students also presented their project at Futurs-ACT’s 2023 “Tremplin” event.

As part of the ARE, a project was carried out on forest fires in La Teste-de-Buch (33):

• Duration: 8 months, academic year 2022-2023
• Location: University of Limoges
• Objective: Analysis of the facts, risk management by local players and the various impacts of the fire. Questioning the responses, reactions and prospects for rebuilding the affected areas.
• Students behind the project: Elouan Delaune, Jules Ferran, Hugo Schutz and Thomas Zucchiatti
• Level of study: Master’s
• Recommendations: A different distribution of forest management by the various local players would improve the efficiency of the logistical points in the Teste-de-Buch forest. Management could be faster and more homogenous and would facilitate future rebuilding.

This Futurs-ACT-supported project was presented as a poster on 12 and 13 June 2023 at the Tremplin Futurs-ACT, our research network’s annual event.

• Duration: academic year 2022-2023
• Location: University of Limoges
• Aims: Following a survey of Limoges residents, the group of students in charge of this project came to the conclusion that the city was not adapted to heatwaves. The aim was therefore to meet the various local players and understand their needs, the reasons for this problem and the improvements to be made.
• Project students: Arthur Conchon-Baranton, Antoine Boyer and Aris Heiser
• Level of study: Master’s
• Results: The survey showed that heat islands are perceptible throughout the city of Limoges, and that revegetation helps to counter them. The municipality is planning to adapt its territory by integrating more green spaces, particularly on Place de la République (Limoges’ main square), but this remains complicated to put in place, as certain areas cannot be developed. The city nevertheless wants to make the city centre as pedestrianised and green as possible, to make it more attractive and combat heat islands as much as possible.

The podcast ‘L’évolution du risque inondation à Saint-Priest-Taurion (87) dans le contexte du dérèglement climatique’, by FERRAN Jules and SCHUTZ Hugo, is the result of the student research workshops on the local challenges of climate change, an original initiative supported by the Futurs-ACT network.

As part of these workshops, Jules and Hugo were introduced to research activities. Field trips, meetings with Michel Galliot (climatologist and president of Limousin Nature Environnement), interviews with elected representatives and local people… This exercise, which ran in parallel with their second year of their Geography degree, gave them the opportunity to experience the complexity of research while contributing to the production of knowledge about a risk in their immediate environment under the pressure of climate change.

Enjoy the rest of Jules & Hugo’s work!