“His credo was to say that all Caen residents should have a green space 500 m from their home,” remembers his son Luc Duncombe. Deputy mayor for the environment under Jean-Marie Girault in the 1970s and 1980s, Frank Duncombe is at the origin of Bird Hill. It was he who first mentioned this idea of transforming this “mountain of garbage” into a large floral park.
The one who defined himself as “a field naturalist”, passionate about birds, is also at the origin of many other things which contribute to the preservation of nature in Caen, such as the CPIE (permanent center for environmental initiatives) or the breeding of ladybugs for fight against aphids, making Caen a pioneer in biological control for plant protection.
“He often said that people listened to him politely, but did not necessarily see the point in changing their behavior, smiles Luc Duncombe. The ideas that my father defended are still completely relevant today. Especially since at the time, we hardly talked about global warming. »
Trees, azaleas and rhododendrons
Frank Duncombe died in 1993, before the Peace Florals and the inauguration of the Hill. Already at the time, the city paid tribute to him. “The flowers and plants which will be offered, as a token of sympathy and friendship in memory of Dr Frank Duncombe, may be trees, various shrubs, including azaleas and rhododendrons, in pots or containers. They will then be gathered at the “Bird Hill”, in a symbolic garden, which will bear witness over time to his love of nature. wrote, after the funeral, the husband of Caen, Jean-Marie Girault.
Thirty years later, this Saturday, June 29, 2024, it is the esplanade facing the Hill that will bear his name.
