8 excursions in Paris to see life in green

What if the imitation of nature, known as bio-mimicry or bio-inspiration, was the future of mankind? To find out, visit the Parc de la Villette. The permanent exhibition at the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, entitled "Bio-inspired", invites you to observe life-size mangroves, coral reefs and forest floors as if you were there. Protecting ourselves, adapting, resisting change... The three reconstructed ecosystems open the way to a different approach. With all your senses awakened, games, quizzes, models, films and even experiments in a BioLab, you'll find inspiration for the future - and that's good!

Bio-inspired exhibition at the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie

Does ecology make you feel guilty and constrained? In the heart of the Bois de Boulogne, ten minutes from the Champs Elysées, the Good Planet Foundation created by photographer Yann Arthus Bertrand is proving the opposite. In the château and extensive grounds of the Domaine de Longchamp, solidarity and humanism are the common thread running through exhibitions, workshops, conferences, educational trails, cooking and gardening classes and film screenings for all the family. Here you can learn about permaculture, and there about beekeeping. Calculate your carbon footprint and make a bird feeder. A green bubble for learning, understanding and experiencing a generous and positive ecology.

Good Planet Foundation

You've got your sea legs and a green streak... How about a private cruise, with family or friends (up to a maximum of 12 people), aboard a 100% eco-friendly boat? Green River Cruises offers trips aboard electric and solar-powered boats, so you can enjoy a gentle, guilt-free tour of Paris's most beautiful monuments. Freshwater sailors and ecomobility enthusiasts should board immediately at Quai de l'Hôtel de Ville for a trip without noise or pollution... So that the planet sails along.

Green River Cruises

In a former railway station in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, the REcyclerie offers a chance to get back on track with virtuous and sustainable consumption. The place is open to all, and its recycled furniture and DIY decor set the tone. With the three Rs, Reduce-Reuse-Recycle, as our roadmap, we're rediscovering the small everyday gestures and habits that change everything. René and his handyman friends' repair workshop is almost like a museum of good practice, as is the Urban Farm, at the cutting edge of bio-waste, along the old railway lines. Feeling hungry? At the cheerful café-cantine, everything is local and homemade. We're sure you'll want to try it!

La REcyclerie

In Pantin, on the outskirts of Paris, the Cité Fertile is a hectare of land to fertilise the city. This is the kind of third-centre that is springing up more and more in the city, on the site of a former goods station. It's a place where people are working hard to prepare a happy future by organising fun, festive events to promote the ecological transition. Gardening workshops, farmers' markets, green conferences, an educational garden, guided tours... Everyone can get their hands dirty before grabbing a bite to eat at La Source, the responsible, gourmet, locavore café-canteen.

La Cité Fertile

Attention reference! Created in 2005 to bring together the collections of AgroParisTech, the leading engineering school specialising in life sciences and environmental issues, the Musée du Vivant focuses on ecology and the issues surrounding it from every angle: scientific, philosophical, cultural, etc. Works by sculptors, painters, photographers, film-makers, draughtsmen and architects sit alongside scientific instruments, models of agricultural machinery, posters, photographs, films, naturalised animals, fossils and more. It's an abundance that doesn't hinder education or daydreaming on this beautiful Grignon estate, which also houses an experimental farm open to the public, just a few minutes from the Château de Versailles.

Musée du Vivant Grignon Farm

It's possible to plant a tree or a tent at the foot of the towers of La Défense, Paris's business district! Just a stone's throw from the Grande Arche, Vive les Groues occupies a 9,000 m² wasteland, with an integrated urban campsite. The site is experimenting and innovating. For example, a tree nursery uses soil from building sites in the Paris region. Trees for the stations of the future Grand Paris Express (the 200 kilometres of automatic metro lines currently under construction) are already growing here. This oasis of greenery is also a place for playing hooky, with workshops on beekeeping, composting and recycling. To take stock, the terrace of the Samba bar welcomes the curious.

Vive les Groues

Crunchy cricket tarts, mealworm pasta, insect snacks... tempting? Not really, but you're going to have to be curious because this entomophagous diet, which is higher in protein and less polluting than meat, could well save the planet. While you're waiting to visit and take part in the culinary workshops at Flabfarm, an underground insect farm project in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, we suggest you try the dishes at Inoveat. In the Halles district, this restaurant puts insects on the menu with a lot of creativity and education. Would you like another worm?

Restaurant Inoveat