A 60m² "insect hotel" has been inaugurated in Dijon city centre, in the Heudelet 26 eco-district. To house several thousand flying insects, a 6-metre-high untreated wooden structure has been anchored to the facade of an office building known as "La Bourdonnerie", in reference to its rather unusual occupants.
The system is made up of around sixty removable compartments, containing tiles, logs with holes in them and bundles of wood, to provide accommodation that suits the tastes of various pollinating insects, such as butterflies, wild bees and beetles.
This first in France was carried out by Atelier Calc on behalf of the Société mixte d'aménagement de l'agglomération dijonnaise. The building is also to be occupied by two environmental associations, Alterre Bourgogne and Réserves naturelles de France.
According to Jean-Patrick Masson, president of Alterre Bourgogne, "the idea for the insect hotel came about because we were looking for a symbol to show our function to the outside world, and we wanted to give a signal in connection with biodiversity and the district". Located in the Heudelet 26 eco-neighbourhood, where 300 homes are to be built, this mini nature reserve in the heart of Dijon is intended to demonstrate that biodiversity can exist in an urban environment and also help to protect certain insects threatened by pesticides.
To help make the operation a success, Alterre Bourgogne will be carrying out educational work to inform the public about the results of the experiment, while Réserves naturelles de France will be lending its skills to the scientific observation of this "insect hotel". Schoolchildren will also be actively involved in developing the experiment.
