Discovery and science

The discovery and science trail offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the scientific work carried out at the Lautaret garden. Researchers from around the world come here to work and benefit from the support of two supervisory bodies,Université Grenoble Alpes the CNRS.

This trail was created with the support of the European Union and its INTERREG program as part of the Franco-Italian ALCOTRA European Regional Development Fund and the JARDINALP project. In order to adapt Alpine tourism to climate change and develop summer activities for exploring the Alps by promoting the region's natural heritage, the JARDINALP project brings together eight French-Italian Alpine botanical gardens: the gardens of Gap-Charance, Lautaret, Paradisia, Castelsavoia, Chanousia, Saussurea, Valderia, and the Marguareis botanical stations.

This trail encourages visitors to ask questions about global changes in climate, agricultural practices, and tourism. Glacier retreat and biodiversity conservation take on their full meaning when faced with the reality of the landscapes present.
Through a symbolic plant, the nine panels along the trail explore a variety of themes. The European larch (Larix decidua) shows how vegetation is recolonizing former meadows. The blue thistle, an emblematic species, provides a better understanding of the impact of changes in agricultural practices on mountain flora.

The 9 topics covered:

A- Trees and shrubs invading grasslands and mountain peaks

B- The Alps, shaped by the advance and retreat of its glaciers

C- Mountain weather before the invention of the thermometer

D- Terraces, evidence of man's age-old struggle against the slope

E- Seasonal snowfall, to be enjoyed in moderation

F- The Queen of the Alps and her threatened kingdom

G- From top to bottom, the slope of all risks

H- A garden tailored to science, a garden for taking the right measure

I- Flora on the move: stories of migration and refuge