Cap sur les minuscules exhibition in Parc Vaugrenier in Villeneuve-Loubet

A new outdoor photo exhibition zooms in on the intricate biodiversity of insects in the Mediterranean wetlands

Morning dew on a delicate spider’s web suspended between two pine needles reflects the early sunlight. Nearby, an ant is busy transporting a heavy load across the forest floor to its nest. A bee hovers in search of nectar, while caterpillars feed on wildflowers before metamorphosing into beautiful butterflies. Dragonflies skim the pond’s surface, and beetles navigate the leaf litter with determination. This is the joyful and intricate universe of the smallest creatures that shape ecosystems without which no natural green space could survive. At Parc Vaugrenier, halfway between Nice and Antibes, the current exhibition Cap sur les minuscules invites visitors to observe this cohabitation of flora and fauna up close.

Produced by the Association Photographie Nature et Biodiversité 06, billboards feature macro photography that captures beetles’ iridescent wing cases, spiders poised mid-hunt, and the precise construction of wasp nests along a trail through the park. Each image situates its subject within its ecological role, as pollinator, predator, or decomposer, showing how insects and spiders sustain Mediterranean biodiversity.

Parc Vaugrenier itself extends the exhibition into a living environment. Its 102 hectares encompass wetlands, cork and holm oak groves, and areas of Mediterranean maquis. Visitors along the trails can compare photographic detail with live observation, noting interactions and behaviours in their natural settings. Ornithological watch stations provide a broader perspective on how insects and small creatures interact with the park’s wider food web. The park is also home to foxes, wild rabbits, squirrels, hedgehogs, bats, grass snakes, and frogs, and its freshwater pond is the last natural one on the Alpes-Maritimes coast to host ducks, herons, and egrets.

Beyond its natural treasures, Vaugrenier preserves traces of human history. Excavations have revealed the remains of a Roman village and a temple dedicated to Mercury, highlighting the park as a landscape continuously inhabited and observed for millennia. The same terrain that once sheltered settlers now harbours a tapestry of wildlife, linking human and natural history, past and present.

Seasonal rhythms influence the park’s insect populations. Pollinators respond to successive waves of flowering plants, while resident species become increasingly active in warmer months. As the year winds down, insects can be watched stocking up or shifting activity as the colder months approach. The exhibition allows visitors to study these creatures in isolation, highlighting structures and behaviours that are otherwise difficult to observe.

Cap sur les minuscules exhibition information board in Parc de Vaugrenier in France

Complementing the exhibition are workshops, guided walks, and field activities. Participants learn to identify species, understand their ecological roles, and adopt practical measures to support local biodiversity. Observation becomes both educational and actionable, demonstrating that conservation begins close to home. Close as it is to urban centres along the Riviera, the park feels like a sanctuary for casual strollers, families with children, and walkers of well-behaved dogs.

The emphasis on local discovery resonates with micro-journey movement, which examines the value of observing the immediate environment rather than seeking distant escapes. At Vaugrenier, the same principle applies: understanding and appreciating the biodiversity underfoot can be as enriching as any distant journey.

Cap sur les minuscules continues until the end of December 2025, but its lesson extends beyond any closing date. The exhibition shows that understanding begins at a local scale, that biodiversity is accessible and complex throughout the seasons, and that careful observation transforms familiar landscapes into sites of discovery. Just pause, observe, and register the dense life unfolding at your feet.