In 2027, the Causses du Quercy Geopark will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Rather than building this anniversary alone, the Park has invited municipalities, associations, schools, cultural, sports, tourism, and economic stakeholders to join the programming. A walk, an exhibition, a conference, a meal, an activity, an existing event… as long as it tells something about the territory and the connection between the Earth and human activities, it can find its place in this anniversary year. The first proposals have now arrived, and they need to be put into action to make 2027 a year of numerous events, spread throughout the Causses du Quercy.
This autumn, the Causseries have returned to the trails, taking participants to discover sometimes unfamiliar landscapes. In Autoire, time was turned back by reading the geology in the village's shapes. In Calvignac, the way the Lot valley is inhabited today and its future were discussed. In Calès, herds served as a common thread to understand why some landscapes remain open while others close. These guided events help reveal the territory's mysteries.
During the Fête du Grand Site de Rocamadour in Calès, pastoralism was highlighted as a factor in landscape maintenance. Animals, by moving, limit the installation of scrub and contribute to the preservation of open environments. In the Lot, where some lands once grazed are gradually closing up, breeders, landowners, and communities are seeking new ways to make these spaces available to herds, often requiring the involvement of many people.
The Fête du Safran de Cajarc highlighted the saffron culture in Quercy. For only a few weeks, small purple flowers appear in the saffron fields. The flowers are hand-picked, then opened one by one to extract the three red stigmas, which will become saffron after drying. This spice requires many flowers and much patience.
The phosphatières du Quercy (phosphorite mines of Quercy) reveal fossils dating back about 34 million years, bearing witness to climatic upheavals and the evolution of European ecosystems. An eight-minute report by the CNRS, also published by Le Monde, explores these sites to understand what these thousands of fossil remains still tell us today, showing researchers at work.
A day dedicated to bio-based materials was held on November 3rd, hosting local elected officials. After presentations on supply chains and existing buildings, a practical workshop with Quercy Éco-Matériaux allowed participants to prepare and apply plaster, thus experiencing the material firsthand.
The Fête de l’Arbre de Reyrevignes (Tree Festival of Reyrevignes), on Sunday, November 29th, will feature a conference by Quentin Vautrin, geologist curator at the Parc-Géoparc, on the evolution of forests over nearly 400 million years. The Parc-Géoparc team will also be present with a stand.
The Parc-Géoparc is participating in the Mois du film documentaire (Month of Documentary Film) with two events. On November 14th in Trespoux-Rassiels, after the screening of 'Sanglier, la bête noire' (Wild Boar, the Black Beast), a discussion will take place on cohabitation with wild boars. On November 26th in Pradines, after 'Dans les gouffres à fossiles du Quercy' (In the Fossil Chasms of Quercy), geologists will participate in the discussion following the screening.
Other events are planned: on November 13th in Carlucet and November 27th in Saint-Géry-Vers, the theme will be 'Mineral and Man'. On November 20th in Puyjourdes and December 4th in Espédaillac, Guilhem Boucher will discuss toponymy and the Occitan language. On November 21st in Bio, a walk around the Clayrac farm will offer insight into the daily lives of shepherds. Finally, on November 27th in Boussac, an evening will focus on the exchanges between the river and the underground waters of the karst.
