The guardians of the Calanques
Supervisory wardens
Missions
Working under the supervision of the sector managers, supervisory wardens carry out various missions:
- to monitor the evolution of environments and species through naturalistic observation
- to acquire knowledge about the National Park's heritage
- to inform visitors and answer their questions
- to raise public awareness of heritage preservation
- to monitor the territory and the activities that take place there
- to participate in environmental education programmes
- to maintain the link with local life and relations with the inhabitants
- monitor compliance with regulations through their environmental policing role
Their activities are divided between 60% in the field and 40% in the office, where they prepare scientific monitoring protocols, process the data collected, and also draw up reports following the discovery of infractions. Commissioned and sworn in as environmental inspectors, they have the power to enforce the National Park's regulations on both land and sea.
Where can they be found?
You will come across them in the National Park while they are carrying out their missions. In the summer they are on patrol seven days a week, on land and at sea.
They are divided into three units:
- the Marseille hills and valleys sector
- the Western coast and archipelagos sector
- the Eastern coast and sea sector
Profile
Environmental inspectors
Numbers
Between 14 and 19, varying each year
Coastal wardens
Missions
They also have numerous missions:
- to inform visitors
- to carry out monitoring of the area
- to acquire knowledge of the National Park's heritage
- to participate in environmental education programmes
- to maintain relations with the inhabitants of the park.
Where can they be found?
You will come across them in the National Park, on land and at sea, on Conservatoire du Littoral land in the Frioul archipelago.
Profile
Specialists in the coastline, financed by the City of Marseille
Numbers
2
Eco-wardens
Missions
During the summer season, the eco-wardens work on land and sea:
- to inform users of the regulations, reminding them of good practice
- to record infringements of the regulations in the absence of wardens on the ground
- to guide the public in exploring this exceptional area
- to raise public awareness of the environment and the challenges facing the area and to run stands
- to implement eco-citizen actions (litter collection, zero waste awareness)
- to participate in surveillance of the range, in particular in terms of fire risk.
Since summer 2016, the eco-wardens have been manning mobile information points, alternately positioned at the Park's main entrance points, such as La calanque mobile and La boîte à Calanques since 2021 (see the press release about the launch of this initiative for season 2021 - in French).
Available to the public on walks, they may also use quizzes, in order to give a more playful character to the discovery of the richess and issues in the National Park.
Where can they be found?
They patrol the most popular routes and major destinations in the National Park, both on land and at sea, in pairs. They can be recognised by their dark blue t-shirts marked "éco-gardes".
Profile
Seasonal workers with previous experience in environmental education
Numbers
Around 24
Eco-volunteers
Missions
Their missions mainly consist in welcoming and informing visitors on the approach to the National Park about access conditions and best practices to adopt.
Where can they be found?
They can be found at the main entrances to the National Park and in the tourist offices of Marseille, Cassis and La Ciotat. You can recognise them by their dark blue t-shirts marked "éco-volontaires".
Profile
Young volunteers showing a desire to be useful locally
Numbers
Between 9 and 11, varying each year
Regional Forest Wardens
Missions
They have various missions:
- to monitor fire-sensitive areas
- to inform the public about the right ways to behave in the forest
- to reinforce the National Park's patrols on red days
- to participate in eco-citizen actions (litter collection, zero waste awareness)
Where can they be found?
They can be found in the interface zones between town and nature, where the risk of fire is particularly high. They can be recognised by their brown polo shirt flocked with the colours of the South Region – Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur!
Profile
Seasonal workers financed by the Conseil Régional Sud – Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur
Numbers
Between 8 and 14, varying each year
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