Leaning over the pond, Gabrielle admires the eye of a frog. She discovers the duckweed that grows on the surface, scrupulously notes each species of insect or flower she discovers. A little further, his classmates feast on a green sorrel leaf, which they appreciate the tangy taste.
A real bowl of nature is offered this Tuesday morning to this class of CM2 of Vincennes. Students have the chance to be welcomed at the Cité du développement durable located in the tropical agronomy garden, between Nogent-sur-Marne and the Bois de Vincennes. A partnership has been signed between Vincennes and this association, created in 2018 but developed especially since 2020, to raise awareness among children in the city. Exhibitions are also organized in the town by members of the City of Sustainable Development.
More than 500 people work at the Cité du développement durable
Like this sunny Tuesday, students benefit with these new "in situ classes" from a transmission of knowledge at the very heart of a very specialized place of knowledge. The city of sustainable development is an association, which brings together 23 member organizations, specialists in ecology and international solidarity. In all, nearly 300 employees, 200 master's students and about fifty doctoral students, all experts in fields such as trees, agronomy and fair trade, work there.
The children of the Simone-Veil school in Vincennes loved tasting some plants directly in the vegetable garden.
On this day, the V'île fertile educational garden, managed by volunteers, receives children. A coherent choice since the Simone-Veil school, which has travelled, is working to vegetate its yard and seeks "to enrich the soil for culture in containers," says the teacher. "It's interesting, we saw chives in bloom, full of plants, tomato feet, moss too," says Jean. Like the whole class, he also took advantage of Kinomé (which means the eye of the tree), to become unbeatable on the different varieties.
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Next time, perhaps they will visit the incredible historical library of CIRAD (Centre for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development), one of the jewels of the City. Unless they meet on the spot researchers from CIRED (International Center for Research on Environment and Development), the first French contributor to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).
"We want to establish these partnerships with other municipalities, contacts are made with Nogent and Fontenay, defends Manon Garin-Marguerite, director of the Cité du développement durable, whose headquarters are based in Nogent. We are a toolbox, with knowledge to share with the public. Our goal is to reinvent development trajectories with the largest number of actors. Proof of the ambition that is becoming a reality: the French Development Agency has just joined the Cité du développement durable!