Réserve naturelle régionale de la mine du Verdy, Regional nature reserve near Pollionnay, France
The Réserve naturelle régionale de la mine du Verdy is a regional nature reserve near Pollionnay, in the Monts du Lyonnais area of eastern France. It consists of a former fluorite and barite mine whose underground galleries and surrounding parcel are now protected as a natural monument.
The mine was worked for decades to extract barite and later fluorite, before it closed and the land became a dumping site. In 1986 the FRAPNA bought the plot, and after a clean-up it was classified as a voluntary nature reserve in 1990, then upgraded to a regional nature reserve in 2008.
The mine is best known locally for its underground galleries, which serve as a hibernation site for bats. Local nature groups occasionally organize guided visits to raise awareness about cave-dwelling species.
Access to the underground galleries is strictly regulated due to ground instability and the need to protect wildlife, so the mine itself is generally not open to the public. The surrounding open-air parcel can be visited, and it is best to stay on marked paths and avoid disturbing plants or animals.
Despite covering only around 530 square feet (about 50 square meters), the reserve hosts over 500 recorded species of fauna and flora. Among them is a tiny freshwater crustacean called Niphargus aquilex, which lives in the water-filled sections of the old galleries.
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