Écrins: 50 years of science in the heart of the Park

Created in 1973, the Ecrins National Park is the fifth of its kind in France. As part of its ^50th anniversary celebrations, and in keeping with its original ambition to associate its missions with the work of scientists, the park is organizing the Écrins terre de science event, in which several Labex ITTEM researchers will be taking part, from May 24 and throughout the summer.

Marion Janel, who is in charge of organizing the event at the Park, explains the idea behind this initiative: “The Écrins National Park is often associated with tourism, winter and nature sports. However, local residents and visitors are not necessarily aware that this is a territory with enormous scientific potential, which is the subject of a great deal of research, not only by Park staff but also by the universities of Grenoble, Chambéry, Marseille, Lyon, Lausanne… and other research institutes. The Park’s 50th anniversary comes at just the right time to show everyone that science is also part of the region.

Various event formats are planned for these encounters between the general public and scientists: conferences, science cafés and aperitifs, field trips… They will cover the whole Park territory, in the valleys as well as on the heights, and will mix environmental sciences with human and social sciences.

Several Labex ITTEM researchers are associated with the event. Find out more about their presentations below:

May 24, 2023 at 6pm (Oisans)
Apéro-science with Felix de Montety, Coralie Mounet, Séverine Durand and Édith Chezel
Evolution of human occupation of the mountains and the knowledge derived from it
Venue: Restaurant La Cordée

June 5, 2023 at 2pm (Briançonnais)
Café Science with Mikael Chambru, Daniel Zambrano and Isabelle Boulangeat
Interaction between research and tourism for the benefit of the region
Venue: Refuge de l’Alpe de Villar d’Arène
Link to event

June 6, 2023 at 6pm (Oisans)
Apéro-science with Philippe Bourdeau
Sensors, beacons, camera traps… when ethics catches up with science
Venue: Restaurant La Cordée

June 29, 2023 at 7:30pm (Briançonnais)
Show-debate La mort d’une montagne (The death of a mountain ) with Compagnie des Non-Alignés, involving doctoral students taking part in the^3rd Mountain Research School, organized by Labex ITTEM and OSUG.
Venue: Jardin alpin du Lautaret
Link to partner event

July 18, 2023 at 5pm (Valbonnais)
Apéro-science with Felix de Montety and Victor Andrade
Refuges as observatories of a mountain in transition
Location: Refuge de Font Turbat
Link to the event

July 24, 2023 at 5pm (Briançonnais)
Conference with David Gateuille
Microplastics and hydrocarbons in the mountains, part of the P4M research project : Perception de la Pollution (micro)Plastique par les Pratiquants de la Montagne, involving Zone Atelier Alpes and Labex ITTEM
Venue: Jardin du Lautaret
Link to partner event

August^1, 2023 at 4pm (Briançonnais)
Conference with Emmanuel Salim, Emmanuel Thibert, Bernard Francou,
Glaciers, from yesterday to tomorrow
Venue: Jardin alpin du Lautaret
Link to event

August^1, 2023 at 6:30pm (Briançonnais)
Apéro-science with Emmanuel Salim, Emmanuel Thibert, Bernard Francou,
Glaciers from yesterday to tomorrow. Will the Hôtel des Glaciers become the Hôtel du Lac?
Venue: Hôtel des Glaciers
Link to event

August 9, 2023
Conference with Isabelle Arpin and Dominique Gauthier
Ibexes, rethinking our relationship with the wild
Location: Le Casset information center (Monétiers-les-bains)
Link to event

August 14, 2023 at 5pm (Briançonnais)
Conference with Mikaël Chambru
Dis-inventing mountain tourism? Transition and conflict
Venue: Jardin du Lautaret
Link to the event

August 18, 2023 at 4pm (Vallouise)
Conference with Philippe Bourdeau and Léa Sallenave
Taking refuge from the world, the place of mountains in the quest for freedom
Venue: Maison du Parc de Vallouise
Link to event

Discover the full program ofÉcrins, terre de science, which will be completed and expanded as the event progresses.

On May 24, 2023, Labex ITTEM researchers Felix de Montety, Coralie Mounet, Séverine Durand and Edith Chezel (Pacte) inaugurated the Apéro-sciences series at La Cordée restaurant in Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans, on the theme Evolution of human occupation of the mountains and the knowledge derived from it.
Photo © Marion Janel/PNE