The NGO « Les Bocages » is an association engaged for the past 30 years in carrying out concrete actions in favour of the environment. Swallows have always been the great love of Claudy Noiret. This nature enthusiast is a federator. He is a man of commitment and action. It is thanks to him that 40 meters of wall are being built, which will change the landscape of the quarry.

Sami Limam, Director of the management of the quarry “Les Petons”. Initially he admits that protecting nature was not really his thing. However he soon changed his mind and quickly understood the challenges to which his industrial activities would need to respond. With a colony of sand martins returning each year to his work site, he gradually felt more and more responsible for their protection. And he was to take some strong measures to raise serious financial resources while mobilising the quarry’s full team of personnel in support of this huge and unique project on a site that remains fully active.

Fernand Derycke is the former director of the quarry, which he considers to be his fourth child. He remembers well the time when any sign of wildlife was quickly exterminated on the work site. And then a change in outlook and mentality occurred, giving way to a cohabitation between production and biodiversity. He intends to show that industrial activities and respect for nature are perfectly compatible.

Alexandre Cuvelier, a trade commissioner of a large group of cement companies who loves to defend projects that are indefensible. To build nesting structures for the sand martins, he had to abandon his comfort zone. He also needed to convince the boys in the engineering office. Here again, temerity and desire created the resulting magical mix.

Marc Rouffart is a businessman, who has learned a lot about sand martins during the ealization of this exploit. With a group of quarry employees it was he who managed the installation of the nesting structures. And it’s not as if he hasn’t ever experienced construction sites in his life. This may not have been the most complicated one, but it was certainly the one which made the most sense.

Luc Taxhet has been working as the director of maintenance in the quarry for more than 20 years. When the weather is good and he wants to clear his mind a bit, he visits the mountain of sand where the sand martins nest right in the middle of the quarry. Just a few minutes of watching the martins and he reconnects with nature. His motivation is his grandson and the young generation to whom he wants to bequeath a cleaner world.

Henri Michel Bayet is “Mister Biodiversity” of the quarry. It’s a complementary post which he has occupied for the past five years in addition to his on-site activities. He’s the one who is responsible for activities linked to the environment. In the spring, he takes care of the maintenance of the façade of the sand cliff, while awaiting the nesting structures which should offer a more permanent shelter.