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The faces of the association
Our team
Michel Melin
President
Arnaud Tissot
Vice-President
Jerome Bontet
Vice President
Jean-Régis Pichon
treasurer
Robert Berthaud
Vice President
Jean-Claude Gartioux
secretary
Lior Melin
Vice President, Head of Flair and Human Relations
Christian Lanoue
Board member
An association to bring the marshes to life
Preserving a place, passing on know-how, bringing generations together.
Just a few steps from the historic center, the Bourges Marshes bear witness to several centuries of work and adaptation to water. Once a natural protection for the city, these wetlands were gradually developed into gardens. In the 17th century, their cultivation expanded; the market gardeners, known as "maretiers," then supplied Bourges with fruits and vegetables for several generations.
This landscape is the result of collective know-how: developing plots, maintaining the waterways, managing water circulation, and reaching certain gardens by boat. The waterways, huts, and traditional tools tell a story inseparable from that of the women and men who cultivate the marshes.
Today, the cultivated and recreational marshes continue this market gardening legacy. Its preservation relies on concrete actions: cultivating the land, maintaining the waterways, respecting biodiversity, and passing on practices to new generations.
The Patrimoine Marais association helps to raise awareness and preserve this site. Protecting the marshes means maintaining a living landscape, its uses, and the human connections that give it all its value.
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