Near Alençon, the forest of Écouves runs over a massif of nearly 37,065 acres (15,000 ha), which makes it one of the largest forest massifs in Normandy. It offers a great diversity of landscapes, all inhabited by significant fauna and flora. The canton of Vignage is home to 300-year-old oaks, while the sunken lanes of the Pays d'Alençon were dug in the 17th and 18th centuries by charcoal burners. The canton of Gué d'Écouflard and its biological reserve of dead trees are conducive to black woodpeckers, insects, and bats. More than 78 miles (126 km) of waterways criss-cross the massif.