The long extinct volcanic peaks of Auvergne and the forested preserves of this southern province left an indelible mark on Pierre Teilhard and i his spiritual autobiography, The Heart of Matter, Father de Chardin writes about the hills and valleys of Auvergne that they …molded me.   Auvergne served me both as a Musée de Histoire natural, and the wildlife preserve. Sarcenat in Auvergne gave me my first taste of the joys of discovery to Auvergne. I owe my most precious possessions: a collection of pebbles and rocks still to be found there, where I lived. (translated in Claude Cuenot,…