Louis Ferdinand Valéran: from shopkeeper to explorer: A passionate retiree shares his discoveries

After finding corals and shells in his locality in Sainte-Croix, an octogenarian asks himself questions.

Louis Ferdinand Valéran, retired and father of four children, has lived in Lecornu, Sainte-Croix since 1979. Still active in his 80s, he is a curious man, jovial in nature and keen on scientific documentation. In 1978, he got a job in cold storage. After 16 years of good and loyal service, he decided to strike out on his own and opened his shop on a location that belonged to him. An adventure that will last from 1990 to 2009.

However, over the years, faced with fierce competition from supermarkets and convenience stores, its financial situation became difficult. Moreover, it was difficult for him to work alone as a shopkeeper as the years passed. Fortunately, he was able to count on the support of those close to him to keep his business running until 2009 when he decided to retire. Additionally, as his children had spread their own wings professionally, it was increasingly difficult for him to manage his store. He wanted to devote himself to his family, especially his grandchildren, but also to have time for himself.

Since then, Louis Ferdinand Valéran has dedicated his time to his passion for scientific documentaries. He watches them on his cell phone, his tablet or even on documentary channels. Driven by this passion which aroused his curiosity over time, he found corals and shells on a fallow construction site in his locality where excavations were carried out in 2017. A land that he discovered completely by chance while going to drop off her grandson at daycare. Certainly, his discoveries have no scientific value, however, he would like to know if specialized people can explain the presence of corals on the land in question. He thinks that in the past, the sea reached the foot of the mountain where Résidence La Cure is located today. It is possible that over the years, the sea has been filled in to make way for homes.

Louis Ferdinand Valéran's goal is to make his small contribution to science. With this in mind, he is willing to lead people specialized in the field into the field. If a scientist, or even several, examines his corals, he will then be able to make sense of his discoveries, which until now have been considered surprising.