Since spring 2023, a park unlike any other has opened its doors in the heart of Finistère. The Gardens of Awakening presents itself as an educational park aiming to raise children's awareness of biodiversity while helping them reconnect with living beings.
The Gardens of Awakening were founded by Didier Nicolas and welcomed their first visitors in April 2023. This educational park is located in Créac'h Coadic, a place called in the municipality of Saint-Thonan in Finistère.
It caters to both families and schools, offering them an educational program to raise awareness about living organisms.
In addition to aromatic and medicinal plants, these gardens showcase farm animals and endemic species from the region, such as the Breton draft horse, the Ouessant sheep, the Froment du Léon cow, and the Rennes cuckoo chicken.
The Gardens of Awakening, which are the result of four years of work, are above all an educational farm. What was originally just a hamlet in the Breton countryside has become an educational project open to all children.
These gardens are presented as a place for raising awareness about living things, biodiversity, and food. Didier Nicolas designed this park as an antidote to two scourges affecting children: ultra-connectivity and junk food... He even stated in an interview: "We are not an amusement park, but rather a place for disconnecting."
In this garden, children can (re)discover contact with animals such as ponies, small goats, and horses, and learn about the joys of gardening and agricultural activities. Perhaps this will inspire some vocations!
At the origin of this project, Didier Nicolas wanted to offer children activities around ponies. But over time, his project has matured and enriched with other proposals. In addition to equestrian activities, the Jardins de l'éveil now offer a restoration based on local and seasonal products and numerous animal-related activities.
The restaurant is partly supplied by the vegetable garden maintained by the children themselves, in the hope that growing vegetables will encourage them to eat more. For the rest of the products, a large part is given to local producers.
In order to discover all the animals that inhabit this park, all you have to do is follow a 25-step course on fauna and flora, with your family or with your class. This walk is punctuated by educational panels giving explanations about ecosystems, animal and plant species, and ways to preserve them.
The park has also partnered with a local beekeepers' union to install beehives and raise awareness among children about the importance of protecting bees.
The Gardens of Awakening are still very recent as they opened to the public on April 25, 2023 and welcomed the first classes in June.
But their founder is brimming with ideas to develop new educational workshops, expand the program offered up to the 9th grade, and better accommodate people with disabilities...
This park, unlike any other, limits its water consumption and generates its electricity through geothermal energy and photovoltaic panels. It aims to be exemplary in terms of environmental respect in order to raise awareness among young and old about sustainable development.
Even though the owners of the place are multiplying projects, they stay on course and keep their objectives in sight: preserving biodiversity and inspiring the younger generation.
The Gardens of Awakening are accessible to people with disabilities. They welcome children under the responsibility of parents or caregivers.
Address
Créac'h Coadic
29800 Saint-Thonan
Opening hours
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm
Rates (2023)
• Full price: €9
• Reduced price (for children under 12): €5
• Free for children under 3
Contact
Phone: 02 57 52 56 40
Email: contact@lesjardinsdeleveil.bzh
Author Audrey on 29 November 2022
Sports and Leisure : Leisure
Author Audrey on 02 June 2023
Sports and Leisure : Creative leisure activities