Catherine and Pierre, the organizers, explain.Conferences are open to everyone, it is truly a scientific culture, promotion by experts for everyone, whatever their level. And the place is convenient for an exchange with scholars: the atmosphere is relaxed, the dialogue promotes, the speakers are a pleasure to discover Val d’Azun, it’s a bit of a holiday! “

Born out of the meeting, in Gaillagos, of Sylvie Vaucler, an astrophysicist, and Hervé Le Treut, a climate scientist, this festival has continued to expand since 2017: more conferences, openness to environmental themes, exhibitions, and workshops for children and artisans. In its sixth edition, the Azzoun Festival opens with a concert on Sunday, before three thematic days: Astronomy and Astrophysics on Monday, August 21, with conferences, a film and stargazing; Bees on Tuesday, with two excursions around biodiversity and the forest (upon registration via website) and three conferences, including one by Pascal Jacquier, a beekeeper in Bonn; Environment and Climate on Wednesday with three conferences. “To deal with this topic, we wanted to focus on geopolitics, civic life, and ways to implement the transformations needed to reduce and adapt to climate change,” explains Pierre. “Last year, a hundred people attended the conferences. There were so many questions that we now give ourselves two hours to have time to answer them.”

Gaston, the baby truck

Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Les Petits Débrouillards, on a tour with Gaston, the truck, presents science activities, challenges, experiments, discussions and exhibitions on water, grazing, biodiversity, climate change, etc.

In the suburbs and in the village hall there are two galleries, a double display of bees and one of pictures of flowers from the Pyrenees, accompanied by poems by children from the country of toys. Throughout the festival, artisans (wood, pottery, jewellery, wool, weaving, etc.), the Le Kairn Library, and Cynthia’s restorations.