Volunteers begin clearing rural footpaths around France: can you help?
The national drive to strim undergrowth runs until March 17
France鈥檚 rural footpaths are often unmarked and known only to locals
Damsea / Shutterstock
Thousands of volunteers around France are participating in a national drive to clear undergrowth from the hidden rural footpaths that were once a key part of countryside life.
The chemins ruraux, or unmarked footpaths - not to be confused with the GR, GRP or PR hiking routes - are the local countryside trails that people have used since time immemorial in France.
However, more often than not they are unmaintained due to a lack of funds, and as a consequence, many have fallen into disuse or become overgrown.
In response, volunteers are working to restore them as part of the Journ茅es des Chemins movement organised by the association.
The programme of clearing the paths began on March 2 and will run to March 17 at over 50 sites around France.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 know yet exactly how many volunteers are participating this year,鈥� Charles P茅ot from Codever told The Connexion. 鈥淟ast year there were around 600, but it will be far more this time.鈥�
鈥淭he movement has attracted a lot of attention this year and grown considerably.鈥�
In November St茅phane Delautrette, MP for Haute-Vienne, told that the paths were in danger of disappearing.
鈥淭hese paths are a real heritage, and can help the development of tourism, hiking, horse-riding and cycling,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t's a heritage that needs to be preserved. Over 200,000 kilometres of rural footpaths have disappeared in France in the last 40 years.鈥�
Read more: Call for action over disappearance of rural footpaths in France
How to join in
If you would like to volunteer to clear the footpaths, click on the arrows on the map below to find the contact details of a local organiser.
Credit: Google Maps / Codever
The right to travel on rural footpaths unimpeded was a key demand of the French revolutionaries in their Cahiers de dol茅ances.
Since 1959 they have been the private property of communes. However, many private landowners actively discourage the use of such trails that cross their land.
鈥淎nyone who is willing and ready can join in,鈥� said Mr P茅ot. 鈥淪ometimes we do fall foul of local landowners, but people have a historic right to use these paths.鈥�
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