Sustainable Travel & Ecotourism

Earthwatch is an international organization that engages in field research to promote a sustainable environment. Some of their programs feature Provence. The group sets up biking tours through the most scenic parts of Provence, going through meadows, woods, hills, and vineyards, especially those rich in bird life or animal life.

For information about how to participate, you can contact Earthwatch Institute at 3 Clock Tower Place, Ste. 100, Box 75 Maynard, MA 01754 (tel. 800/776-0188; www.earthwatch.org).

Much of Provence, especially the Riviera, is horribly overbuilt. But if it's a natural setting and wildlife you seek, there are places that offer an escape, especially Montagne du Lubéron, a mountain chain reaching a peak of 1,125m (3,690 ft.). If you'd like to explore these unspoiled spaces with tiny villages, you can anchor in at Bonnieux or Roussillon.