Interview with Le Loubatas, an environmental education association in Bouches-du-Rhône
Le Loubatas is an environmental education association based in Peyrolles-en-Provence, not far from Aix-en-Provence. Can you tell us a little about this educational center?
The Loubatas site is a 7-hectare plot in the heart of the Provencal forest. It’s a place where we experiment with ecology on a daily basis (our motto) and where we like to share our experience.
The Association has been in existence for over 30 years now, and numerous volunteer workcamps have enabled the construction of a group ecogîte for 35 people. We combine demonstration with environmental education to raise awareness among our various audiences.
What are your main activities and who do they target?
Our business is environmental education. We mainly work with schoolchildren and leisure centers for educational stays, and also welcome all types of public for various actions (families, individuals, various disabilities…). Themes include sustainable development: energy, eco-construction, biodiversity, waste….
At the same time, we make our gîte available for rent to individuals at weekends.
Could you tell us about one of your actions that is particularly important to you?
In 2013, we created an educational garden on our site. This garden is a place where children on educational trips to Loubatas can get their hands dirty. They sow, plant, mulch, water and, above all, enjoy a moment of relaxation at the end of the day.
The educational garden
We offer a daily one-hour garden workshop during each stay. This workshop, in small groups of 5 to 7 children, is run by Rémi, our civic service volunteer for a year. In this project, we are keen to show alternatives to pesticides, permaculture gardening techniques (mounds, aromatic spirals, lasagna squares, etc.), the advantages of
using compost
as well as limiting water wastage.
Read the article on the GRAINE PACA website:
Dry toilets for the little ones at Loubatas
To support your water-saving initiatives, Lécopot has offered you its “Puceron” dry toilet designed for small children. What do these budding users think?
With our animation season starting at the beginning of March, we’ll be sure to give you feedback on the use of the “puceron”, dry toilet for children. To prepare for this, we’re planning to build a new “little corner” where the children can be in complete peace and quiet. Construction will take place on our Volunteer Day on April1, 2017.
Interview by Lécopot in March 2017, with Jennifer ETIENNE,
Environmental educator, Ecoconstruction project manager.
Contact the Le Loubatas association :
17, chemin neuf, 13860 Peyrolles-en-Provence
Tel. : 04 42 67 06 70
Website: www.loubatas.org