An original palette of greens Glisy Marsh is a common marsh extending over 33 hectares in the major bed of the river Somme (zone of flood expansion of the river) to 24 metres above sea level. It nestles between the river to the north and the railway tracks on a bank of more than 10 metres to the north-west and on the slope of the Somme Valley, to the South. “Heart of nature” of the Somme Valley, the marsh features many different atmospheres with a wide variety of natural habitats, with forests, open land and wetlands. It is a popular site for walking, fishing, hunting and nature discovery, where livestock also graze. Glisy town council is mindful of its heritage, developing preservation and upgrading programmes for this common land, caring for this natural heritage and user expectations. These signs will guide you through the marsh.
A beauty spot, a great place for walks that has a useful role to play Glisy Marsh is a beautiful rural area, where wild flora and fauna grow. Some of the local species are rare or threatened with extinction. The site is classified as wetland. Wetlands may be exploited, and are usually flooded or waterlogged for all or at least part of the year. Vegetation is dominated by hygrophilous plants that grow in waterlogged soil. Wetlands are very useful to the eco-system (regulating water levels, purifying water naturally and being used as farmland) yet wetlands have diminished considerably in the past three centuries, being drained for farming or backfilled for urbanisation. They now deserve all our attention. Glisy Marsh is therefore fragile because of its vulnerability. Visitors are respectfully asked to behave responsibly:
Stay on blazed trails Do not use motorized vehicles Do not litter Respect the tranquillity of the site and anglers’ gear Preserve the flora: do not pick flowers in waterlogged land and ponds Keep your dog under control, to show respect for people and wildlife Use a pooper scooper for your dog’s excrement. Fires and barbecues prohibited.
For you, an introductory tour to learn more How about going on a 3.4-km discovery trail? It takes about an hour and a half. There are information signs, and eight observation and discovery points fill you in on the sights. Él'guernoulle, a marshland child, will share his discoveries and memories. This reading and listening presentation will especially appeal to younger visitors. More detailed documentation is available via the QR code featuring on each sign. Scan them with your smartphone for additional information on the local council’s website.
Open your eyes, ears and noses and enjoy your walk!
MARSHLAND KID
Come with Él'guernoulle!
"Hello, my name is François, but here everyone calls me Él’guernoulle, because I run all over the place, but mainly because I’m always hanging out in the marsh! Any time we’re free, I come down from the village to hang out here with my friends. Here, we imagine stories and all sorts of adventures. As our teacher says, we’re not short on imagination!
Come on, follow me, let me show you our marshes! You’ll find me on other signs along the blazed trail! "
(*) frog in the local dialect, Picard
Access to the site / Welcome signs
Information points
Car parks
Drainage ditches
Poplar plantations, poplars for timber.
Alluvial groves, groves growing near ponds composed of a variety of species: Willow, Alder, and Ash.
Shallow lakes left by former peat mining.
Ponds, hollows or holes lefts by bombs from WWII.
Meadows used for grazing, or mowed for hay.
Megaphorbia / sedgeland, high to medium herbaceous plants with clumps of willows growing on waterlogged or flooded land.
Railway embankment.