VII. THE TOOL

#25 The metal cage
The researcher counts the cricket eggs in three large 'aviaries'. Inside the mini 'aviaries', small numbered flags indicate where to look. The metal mesh of the aviaries blends in with that of the military fence. Wire is also used in the reserves to create observation pods for the pastures.


#26 In the mesh
The fishing nets of a soft black cord have are like half hanging webs that have been spun different spots near the Étang de Vaccarès and the coastal salt marches. They are used to count, observe and then release species back into the large lagune ponds. The presence of a species, the number and size of individuals indicate whether an environment is still favourable. At night, the fine nets are repaired by hand, as if it we a fine work of lace. It is this time and fragility that doesn’t harm the species that pass this physical check. 


#27 The ruler. The gauge
Researchers use a ruler to measure a species in the environment in which it has settled. Good composture indicates a favourable environment. However, measuring becomes more complex for animals whose systems been affected by PCBs ^[1], heavy metals and other substances. From time to time we see an inflated stomach and I wonder if this is the case. 


#28 The bird's ring
Metal leg bands are the classic technique for tracking bird colonies. Pigeonn falcon other birdwatchers know how this proceeds. The larger rings on the larger birds or the more colourful are easy to read and, making it possible to follow the flight of birds with binoculars. But the first GPS beacons have already replaced this ancestral method of tracking, a sign of the further digitilisation of nature.


#29 An iron rod
The researcher is not the only one who knows how to observe the soil in depth. Using iron rods, self-taught archaeologist Otello Badan has located the Canal de Marius in the Marais de Vigueirat and more than 300 Roman sheepfolds whose existence was disputed throughot. This former nature reserve warden shows that the Romans were able to respect the habitat by not removing the stones from the plain.


#30 A roll of insulation
There are many abandoned objects, remnants of industry or the army, all over these vast low lands. Rummaging around an abandoned site in Port Saint-Louis, I came across an artist looking for an object for his improvised street theatre. He chose a roll of insulation.  


#31 A notebook
The researcher uses a notebook to record, count and draw species. These notebooks stand up to the power of billions of euros of military or industrial technology often there in the very same field. These tools, so simple, are the weapons of defence in the exploitation of the territory. They show that advanced technology always arrives too late where it belongs.