The courses are open to beginners and curious nature enthusiasts. They are primarily field-based training sessions, but given the strong educational focus, the physical effort required is lighter than on a standard hike.
Naturalist Guide – Accompagnateur en Moyenne Montagne (AMM): Mountain Leader
Holder of the State Mountain Leader Diploma (Brevet d’État d’Alpinisme, AMM) since 2014, I offer guided hikes, naturalist and ethnobotanical courses, and treks. A lover of wide open spaces and untamed nature in all its forms, I have a particular fondness for off-the-beaten-path itineraries.
A Mountain Leader (AMM) is above all a sports educator. They organize, guide, and teach hiking and snowshoeing—ranging from simple walks to autonomous treks—both in France and abroad. They are also naturalist guides, sharing their knowledge of the natural environment with a wide audience.
The frech title of the diploma can be misleading: an AMM is not limited by altitude. Their true limits lie in the equipment they are authorized to use to ensure the progress and safety of their group.
Thus, an AMM may lead groups across all types of mountain terrain, except:
- glaciers
- areas where the use of specific technical gear (ropes, crampons, ice axes, etc.) is essential for participant safety
Mountain leaders do more than just guide hikes. Their expertise spans a wide range of fields including wildlife, flora, geology, local heritage, ecology, as well as the cultural and traditional practices of the regions they traverse. Their knowledge is not necessarily limited to mountainous environments. They:
- Design and organize hikes and treks (on foot or snowshoes in winter)
- Assess terrain conditions, weather, and risks, adapting routes accordingly.
- Lead diverse groups: children, adults, people with disabilities, school groups, tourists, and more.
- Train participants in mountain self-reliance: orientation/navigation, safety, logistics, respect for natural sites...
- Organize and lead themed outings and workshops according to their specialties—botany, wildlife photography, and more...
- Share a sensitive and naturalist approach to the environment.
Beyond the educational aspect, I love sharing my passion for the natural world—creating connections between people and their surroundings, and with the fascinating beings who inhabit them, whether furred, feathered, scaled, leafed, or in bloom.
Naturalist Courses
Discovering wildlife—from large mammals to tiny insects, including birds, reptiles, and more—and the ecosystems they inhabit is an endlessly fascinating adventure.
These courses invite you to observe, understand, and identify animal species in their natural habitats, while learning how to minimize your impact on the environments you explore. Tracks, behaviors, songs, interactions… a blend of scientific and sensory approaches helps participants grasp biodiversity and the delicate balance of ecosystems. An ideal foundation for curious learners, students, or photographers wishing to move toward wildlife-focused work.
Ethnobotany Courses
An introduction to plant classification, physiology, and ecology—in other words, the relationships between species and their environment. Before even addressing human–plant interactions, we must first understand what plants are and how they connect to other living and non-living elements.
Everything is interconnected—and that’s something truly beautiful. We’ll explore a wide range of topics: edibility and medicinal uses of plants, traditional crafts such as dyeing and basketry, but also lesser-known aspects such as their role in architecture, folklore, language evolution, and place names. And since everything is interdependent, we’ll also discuss soils and underground life, fungi and bacteria, fauna, ecosystem dynamics, geology, geomorphology, climate, and meteorology—an inexhaustive list, of course!
Naturalist Courses
To truly know nature requires time, passion, humility, and a few essential keys…
Ethnobotany Courses
Ethnobotany explores the relationships between plants and people—from medicinal, craft, and agricultural uses to their cultural and symbolic roles.