Posted on: September 23rd 2022

Town Twinning Trip to Fougeres

Prize Winning Review Written by Evie

From 15-19 of September, five Highworth students including myself stayed in the town of Fougères in order to explore international biodiversity, and how together we can protect the environment and the species which inhabit it.

The Town

Fougères is a beautiful town located in Brittany, France. Perhaps the best part of the town itself was the incorporation of impressive architecture dating back to the Middle Ages, and the upkeep of nature and sustainability throughout. On the trip, we visited many key buildings of Fougères, including the Château de Fougères, the abbey of Saint-Pierre de Rillé, and the new state of the art gymnasium.

Our Experience

Staying with a foreign family (especially one which is not fluent in your native language) is of course a daunting task; however, I found that the families helped encourage us and improve our confidence in talking in French. Accent and expression are improved by the continued exposure to others using it, and I found that coming back my French speaking had significantly improved. Going abroad has also taught me the importance of language, and how communication cannot be taken for granted, as it really is the heart of socialising.

Biodiversity

Fougères is certainly a town that promotes excellent biodiversity, and has many features which Ashford could learn from and implement in our own community. For instance, the community compost sites help to encourage socialising whilst also recycling and using our waste to nourish nature instead of destroying it. The local youth can also volunteer at gardens in order to connect citizens to the environment and help them develop an ambition to improve their surroundings.

The botanical gardens were absolutely beautiful, and perhaps my favourite part of the entire trip. They were kept in outstanding conditions, and showed the power of nature from all angles of the world. I thought that the Japanese inspired gardens were particularly interesting, but also enjoyed the bamboo forest, something I had never seen before.

Even a local restaurant near the botanical gardens we visited was superb at using renewable energy - 80% of its energy was self-sufficient, and the chef made an excellent effort to not waste water, or energy, whilst still producing excellent food.

The Presentation

Although extremely nerve-wracking, the presentation was successful! Listening to all the other students speak in a trilingual presentation was incredibly inspiring, and hearing about their own towns and how they protect local nature really amplified our worldwide goal of ultimately saving our environment. It was lovely to get to know the foreign students and prove how although we are from different countries, through learning a language we can be brought together. I thoroughly enjoyed the dinner hosted by Fougères, and trying out the local cuisine helped me embrace the culture of Fougères. Although it was all a step out of my comfort zone, it was one that I am glad I took.

What To Take Away

One thing I have definitely learned from this experience is that it is possible for us to collaborate and protect the environment. Fougeres is certainly an exemplar for this, and I would love to return to Brittany with my family and friends to show them everything from Saint-Malo to Mont St-Michel, and inspire them also to protect and respect our environment.