Just a few miles away from Marseille we can find the four islands in the Frioul archipelago: Pomegues, Ratonneau, If and Tiboulen. Despite their small size, they are historically significant dating back around 600 B.C. when they began to be used as a stopover for Mediterranean sailors, warriors, or adventurers . They were subsequently used to put ship’s crews in quarantine to protect the city of Marseille from epidemics, while in the 19th century the Caroline Hospital was built to care for the patients suffering from yellow fever.
Ecopolis team in collaboration with the Mediterannean Institute of the Littoral organised a whole day in the islands where again in groups the youngsters discovered their past and current state filling a questionnary either by interviewing the inhabitants or visiting the area and observing its particular character. Our interest was concentrated on the environmental importance of the Frioul: calanques,beaches,inlets, towering rocky outcrops form the islands which are still protected due to the micro-climate that engenders 200 plant species such as the sea lavender, the sand lilly and the samphire. Many sea birds also find refuge to the islands, including the famous yellow-legged gul “le gabian”. One of the missions of the youngsters was to try to identify those species and learn more about their important existance on the island, the effort being made to protect them and the economical issues related as well. However,they had enough time to take a swim in the crystal clear water and relax surrounded by the Mediterranean nature before going back to Marseille’s city centre!
Despina
