With its wide variety of natural habitats, the Greater Besançon region is home to an incredible wealth of flora and fauna. Dry grasslands, meadows, hillside forests, wetlands… To pay tribute to these habitats that make up the natural richness of our region, the Franche-Comté National Botanical Conservatory – Regional Invertebrate Observatory (CBNFC-ORI) has collaborated with Grand Besançon Métropole and the Musée des Maisons Comtoises in Nancray to create an exhibition and original educational materials.

This exhibition will be on permanent display in the outdoor park of the Musée des Maisons Comtoises in Nancray. Another version, a traveling exhibition, will also be offered by the Greater Besançon region to all municipalities within the metropolitan area and made available to town halls that wish to present the exhibition to their residents.

Set within the corresponding natural habitats right inside the museum, the exhibition uses six large panels to present the various natural habitats of the Greater Besançon area, illustrated with large watercolors by artist Jean Chevallier. Accompanied by a small activity booklet, the exhibition encourages visitors to investigate and take a closer look at these large watercolors to find the different species hidden within them and learn more about them. Finally, wooden stations next to each panel invite visitors to “handle / touch / observe” to discover a fun fact or a tip to better understand and recognize the nature around us.

Innovative in its format, this exhibition is designed for audiences of all ages and engages visitors’ various senses to offer them multiple perspectives and levels of interpretation.

Its location within the Museum Park gives this installation excellent visibility among both local visitors and passing tourists, and pays tribute to the landscapes and natural diversity of our region. We also hope that its traveling version will appeal to the mayors and residents of the many towns in the Greater Besançon area!