France Nature Environnement

Description

France Nature Environnement is the French federation of associations for the protection of nature and the environment. Founded in 1968 as the French Federation of Societies for the Protection of Nature, it was recognised as a public-benefit organisation in 1976.

As an umbrella federation, it speaks for a movement bringing together thousands of member associations across mainland France and its overseas territories. It directly gathers 21 territorial associations, 16 national thematic associations and 11 correspondent associations, and represents several thousand affiliated local groups in total.

Its member associations inform citizens, meet with elected officials and decision-makers, carry out fieldwork such as site clean-ups and species inventories, train volunteers, manage protected areas, and take part in public consultations and debates. The federation itself is run by an elected board and bureau, supported by staff working on advocacy, communications, legal support and coordination between member groups.

Internationally, France Nature Environnement belongs to the European Environmental Bureau, Seas at Risk and the Health and Environment Alliance, working alongside other European associations on environmental and health issues. Its emblem is the hedgehog.