Welcome to bray-dunes

The Dune of the Parrot is the last completely wild solid mass which form with the Domanial Natural reserve of Westhoek, a dune whole of more than 600 hectares. Besides, an European project concerning the creation; a common Natural reserve is under development.

Situation: between the seaside resorts of Bray-Dunes and Breakdown (Belgium) Creation date: belongs to the Academy of the Littoral since 1997 Surface: 250 ha - Type of reserve: between ground and sea - Mediums: dune solid mass (dunes embryonic, mobile, with thickets, fixed, wooded, parabolic, breakdowns)

Fauna: insects (dragonflies…), many species vertebrate including 6 Amphibians (Alpine toads calamities, tritons…), 1 reptile, mammals (fox, wild rabbit…) , many birds (nightingales, chiff-chaffs, owl average duke, falcon kestrel…)

Flora: Many unquestionable species of which specific to the Flemish dunes: l' sea reed pricking, the reed, the poplar grisard, boreal plants (thought of sands, the large sea reed, the wintergreen), grass of Parnassus of the marshes, helléborine…

Unique in the world, the Academy of the littoral and the lake shores became, in twenty years, the first landowner of the French coasts. To acquire, rehabilitate, open with the public the natural spaces definitively prohibited with construction, such is the objective of forty civils servant who, within this organization d' State, take care of the safeguard of the remarkable French landscape inheritance.

The success of the Academy of the littoral makes waves throughout the world. Except the National Trust, British private organization of which it is inspired with the origin, it do not exist similar structure. The French organization is thus requested more and more to export its know-how.

Within the association Eurosite, it exchanges information (technical of the acquisition, management, reception) with organizations of protection of nature of the States of l' European Union and of the countries of the Europe of East.

During the last war, lthe Notre-Dame church was damaged at such point taht it proved to be unusable for the worship.

This communal building - Bray donation - was one of the first churches of the diocese of Lille to being given in state. It is in May 1958 that the first Solemn communions took place in the rebuilt building.