The foundation

History and Presentation

In 2007, Vidauban Golf Club initiated its “Fondation d’Entreprise du Golf de Vidauban pour l’environnement”. The aim was, and remains to this day, to organise an original relationship between our golfing activities and unique environment in the very heart of the “Plaine des Maures”, reputed to host a rare and vast biodiversity.

The initial focus of the Foundation was to study, itemize and protect the exceptional habitat of the entire 800-hectare property, a habitat which includes many rare species of flora and fauna including rare and threatened species such as the Hermann’s tortoise, the European pond terrapin and the Ocellated lizard.

Working in partnership with the National History Natural Museum of Paris through a unique convention, the research supported by the Foundation helped discovering previously unknown species, and has established a model of sustainable maintenance practices to help protecting the biodiversity on the golf course.

The Environment

The Club also serves as a unique reserve for wildlife, including the incredibly rare Hermann Tortoise mirrored as our club logo.

Initiating its “Fondation d’Entreprise pour l’Environnement”, the Club is proud of its unique and close 10-year long partnership with the French Natural History Museum resulting in :

  • a thorough, independent and unprecedented biodiversity study
  • the discovery of new flora and fauna species and defining together a model of sustainable maintenance best practices on the golf course, proudly shared with the French Golf Federation and other golf clubs all over the world.

The aim was and remains to this day, to organise an original relationship between our golfing activities and unique environment in the very heart of the “Plaine des Maures”, reputed to host a rare and vast biodiversity such as the Hermann’s tortoise, the European pond terrapin and the Ocellated lizard.

Activities

The Club and Foundation’s focuses are :

  • to dialog with local and national organisations, administrations, private and public entities exploring topical and critical matters in relation to environmental threats and enhancement,
  • to educate children and students,
  • to increase awareness of the Club’s members and staff for the preservation of the biodiversity and the sustainable water consumption and fire risks major issues ,
  • to study, itemize and protect the exceptional habitat of the entire 800-hectare property.

All these actions are also meant to develop scientific tools and methodologies, setting Vidauban as a benchmark for sustainable and best practices to protect the serenity and durability of the property.

Plaine des Maures Presentation

Framed north and west by limestone hills, south and east by the northern peaks of the “Massif des Maures”, the “Plaine des Maures” is the first nature reserve of the Var department.

This unique territory in France contains exceptional biodiversity in the Mediterranean region, as well as a valuable landscape. The mosaic and diversity of these natural habitats (oak, pine forests, grasslands, temporary pools, bush, sandstone slabs, meadows …) is supportive environments for many remarkable heritage species or threatened. The “Plaine des Maures” is the largest Provencal core of Hermann tortoise (also present in the Var and Corsica).

This area of more than 5000 hectares, host of 10% of the French registered Fauna and Flora, has been the subject of a national action plan since its classification as Natural Reserve Park in 2009. The regulation was adapted to the issues and specifics of the territory in order to take into account human activities. It will allow the maintenance and evolution towards more sustainable practices that respect the natural heritage.