Under a sunny and beautiful sky, the Maison d’Accueil de l’Ile Blanche -Région Bretagne, France- hosted its first “Fête des Plantes”, this Sunday, June 12, 2022.
Thanks to the collaboration of the Sisters, the “Friends of the Ile Blanche”, the Festival Committee of Locquirec and volunteer friends from Plestin, a neighbouring commune, this day was a success.
The chosen location, the meadow, at the foot of the Ile-Blanche castle, facing the Douron -coastal river-, allowed a vast space for the eleven exhibitors: Nurserymen, organic producers of medicinal herbs, vine plants or various fruit trees, beekeeper, oyas seller as well as seven associations: – L’Ile Blanche, which presented its history, that of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit in the world and its project of conversion to integral ecology, inspired by Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti, illustrated by the various development projects of the park: vineyard, planting of tea trees, shared permaculture vegetable garden, garden of the simple, all this approach being part of the desire to create a “third place” of welcome and sharing. – The League for the Protection of Birds (LPO), to which the Ile Blanche belongs, – “Bretagne vivante”, – ULAMIR (Local Union for Rural Activities) of Lanmeur, offering educational workshops on fauna and flora, and the protection of nature, – Sauvegarde du Trégor represented by “Les abeilles de Morlaix” – The Scouts de France presenting their projects and providing services throughout the day, – The Association of Parents of the Locquirec School selling cuttings made by the children who will be associated with the future “vegetable garden” in an educational project.
A food stand offered “galettes-saucisses”, drinks and pancakes.Volunteers from the Locquirec Festival Committee, as well as volunteer friends from Plestin and Ile Blanche, greatly contributed to the logistics and conviviality of this festive moment! A tombola allowed many prizes to be won, collected from the shopkeepers of the neighbouring communes. A group of amateur musicians from Trégor, the “Trouzerien Plestin”, closed the day with Breton and Irish folk tunes and even made people dance some gavottes, Scottish waltzes and banter-dro…
Between 10 am and 7 pm, an estimated 2,000 visitors passed through. They discovered the park without hiding their admiration. Many people congratulated the initiative and the development of the place, as well as the beauty of the park, the quality of the stands and animations proposed. The exhibitors were also satisfied! A procession of plants and flowers, going up towards the car park, testified to the numerous purchases of this family crowd.
Serenity, Beauty and Exchange were the key words of the day!
The first manifestation of the “renewal of the Ile Blanche Park”, this plant festival marks the start of the great conversion project towards integral ecology desired by the Daughters of the Holy Spirit and the creation of a “Third Place” of listening, welcoming and sharing.
Isabelle Droulers, Marie-Anne Sevin, friends of “Ile Blanche”.
Published on 20 June 2022
Photos.
1: Shrubs stand (See at the beginning of the article). 2: Plants stand. 3: Fruit stand. 4; Oyas stand. 5; “Green Church” stand. 6: “Daughters of the Holy Spirit” stand. 7: Honey stand. 8: Vine stand.
