Since its creation in 1996, the Fondation du patrimoine (Heritage Foundation) has been working to protect built and natural heritage, two inseparable dimensions. It supports biodiversity projects throughout France, notably via its Natural Heritage and Biodiversity Program.
Its action relies on a strong territorial network, thanks to a network of regional delegations and committed volunteers. It intervenes everywhere in France to support the restoration of emblematic places, but also often forgotten small heritage sites, in cities as well as in rural areas.
For the launch of its Natural Heritage Division, the Etrillard Foundation thus wished to support projects in the South-West of France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
The Etrillard Foundation thus becomes one of the first patrons for three years of the NAture Fund, standing for Nouvelle-Aquitaine Territoire Uni pour Restaurer nos Ecosystèmes (Nouvelle-Aquitaine United Territory to Restore our Ecosystems).
Indeed, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, and to respond to the growing challenges linked to the degradation of ecosystems, the Heritage Foundation and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region have joined forces and launched the NAture Fund. This unique fund – endowed with an initial annual budget of 200,000 euros, funded equally by the Region and the Foundation – on the territory combines public and private funding and corporate philanthropy to support the preservation of natural environments and biodiversity in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It aims to place biodiversity at the heart of the strategic thinking of companies, by fostering development between the various stakeholders of the territories.
The NAture Fund, along with its partners, including the Etrillard Foundation, elects several winning projects each year following a call for applications.
The supported projects can be led by public or associative project owners, with an investment amount greater than €10,000 and located in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Eligible projects must meet specific criteria and include one of the following actions:
– Restoration or safeguarding works of natural spaces, whether developed or not (wetlands, forests, coastal environments, habitats of endangered species), having a positive and measurable impact on biodiversity.
– Specific developments allowing the improvement of biodiversity within old buildings of heritage interest (bat grilles, roosts and nesting boxes, protections, etc.).
– Land acquisitions by recognized management structures, with a previously defined conservation management project.
The first call for projects (launched in January 2025 and closed in April 2025) was a success and gathered numerous applications.
Projects eligible for the NAture Fund are selected based on their significant and measurable impact on biodiversity. They were submitted to a regional selection committee, including Miguel Perez de Guzman, General Delegate of the Etrillard Foundation, which was held on July 1, 2025 in Izon, in Gironde.
The eight winning projects of the NAture Fund will be unveiled during July 2025.