Meeting with Pierre – National Park Ranger in La Croix Valmer
For more than 25 years, Pierre has devoted his professional life to protecting and promoting natural areas. A true nature lover since childhood (when he spent hours fishing and hiking at Cap Lardier), he considers this area to be an “absolute blessing.” Saved from urbanization, this iconic site tells a story of landscapes, heathland scrub, and traces left by time, for those who know how to read them.
He describes his job as “very versatile.” Combining naturalist knowledge, environmental management, and field responsibilities, he brings together awareness, education, safety, fire prevention, and respect for customs. It is a comprehensive role that can sometimes be demanding, but one that is always driven by the same conviction: preserving the richness of life.
2011 is indeed the date when the potential membership area was created, and 2016 is the year when the municipality joined the charter, but the site itself has been protected since its acquisition in 1978 and, above all, since 1984.
Since Cap Lardier was recognized as a protected area in 1978 and the potential membership area was created in 2011, Pierre has emphasized the importance of partnering with local authorities, complying with regulations related to environmental and maritime fishing laws, and maintaining constant links with the agricultural community in his work.
The richness of Croisienne can be seen at every turn: pine trees, typical Provençal vegetation, cliffs covered in seaweed, abundant biological diversity with nearly 800 species of beetles recorded, as well as rare and precious species such as Hermann’s tortoise (the only genetically pure population in France) and the return of the peregrine falcon and ocellated lizard. Since 2018, even wolves have returned, demonstrating the restoration of balance. Now, the inventory is no longer limited to the land: it also extends to underwater riches, proof that biodiversity is both terrestrial and aquatic.
For Pierre, the key lies in communication: raising public awareness, helping people discover nature without distorting it, inviting them to marvel at it while reminding them that nature “should be approached with humility.”
It is not just a matter of admiring, but of respecting and protecting.
When asked what the “Richesses Croisiennes” mean to him, his answer is immediate:
His childhood memories, his joy at having grown up in this unspoiled natural environment, his wonderment intact after all these years.
Everything points to one obvious conclusion: Pierre himself is one of the treasures of La Croix Valmer National Park. A happy man, in his element, witness and guardian of this unique natural heritage.
Thank you, Pierre, for this unique moment we spent together.