White on Brown - wildlife at the Étang de Berre: swans, terns and flamingos
White on Brown - wildlife at the Étang de Berre: swans, terns and flamingos
I find the sight of swans, terns and flamingos in the midst of industrial exploitation optimistic and encouraging. If we are to co-exit with wildlife we have to allow it to exist and thrive in amongst our developments. I see a beauty in the adaptability of wildlife to these brown-field environments as well as the contrast between the clear whites of the feathers and the mucky browns and tans of the industrialisation.
The Étang is a semi-freshwater lagoon just outside Marseille. It’s fed by freshwater from the Canal de Provence via a hydroelectric power generation station and seawater via Martigues and the Canal du Rove. It’s bordered by Marseille-Provence airport at Marignane, petroleum refineries at Berre, and Fos as well as salt pans which have been in this place for centuries.