Ungersheim. Biodiversity in all its forms on May 10 and 11 at the Ecomuseum

During the Biodiversity Days, which will take place on Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Écomusée d'Alsace in Ungersheim, volunteer naturalists will present the extraordinary living heritage that has flourished on the 97 hectares of the museum site .

"We will be presenting in particular the ^5,115th species to have been recently recorded there. The presence of Europe's largest rodent was identified thanks to the discovery of bark-stripped branches bearing teeth marks and pencil-shaped trunks. The installation of a video trap confirmed our hypothesis of the natural settlement of a pair of beavers on the site," says Lionel Juif, one of the naturalists. A true work of Land Art, a giant beaver created by Benoît Benni, from Husseren-Wesserling, will celebrate the arrival of this animal.

Throughout the weekend, several guided tours will lead visitors to discover the vineyards and the "Amazing Landscapes" trail. The conservatory orchard of old apples, rich in 250 varieties, and the apple maze of volunteer arborists will also be on display.

The beekeepers will present their apiary and honey house, which are not normally visible to the public. Mathieu Diffort and Philippe Sieffert, from the company Api & Co , will demonstrate how to neutralize a nest of yellow-legged hornets, harmful insects that prey on bees, using a drone equipped with a cannon powered by a tank filled with natural pyrethrum balls.

A little over fifteen environmental organizations will have stands presenting forests, butterflies, bees, amphibians and reptiles, hedgehogs, the great hamster of Alsace, Alsace fish, dragonflies (only on Sundays), and spring mushrooms. For the first time, there will be talk of bears, wolves and lynx thanks to Ferus, the national association for the defense and protection of large predators . The Conservatoire d'espaces naturels d'Alsace will also be present.

Numerous activities will allow you to build a stork's nest and an insect nest box, climb trees, create your own natural wax candle, make "seed bombs" or your own plastic arts materials with natural pigments, create fabric and paper cards, make cob and discover a board game dedicated to the European hamster.

Visitors can also explore traditional basketry, small-scale farming, composting, and organic and sustainable market gardening, as well as discover the animal creations of a glassmaker and watercolors depicting animals. A small craft market dedicated to natural products will be held on the Place des Artisans. Finally, nature stories will be narrated several times.

Biodiversity Days, Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Écomusée d'Alsace, Chemin du Grosswald in Ungersheim. Prices: €16.50 (adult), €14 (reduced), €11 (child aged 4 to 17), free for children under 3. Schedules for guided tours and activities dedicated to biodiversity can be found at www.ecomusee.alsace/les-journees-de-la-biodiversite