News and Blogs

  1. Latest News
  2. Cousin Island News
  3. Blue Economy Seychelles
  4. Green Health Blog
  • Research: Roaming seabirds need ocean-wide protection, research shows

    Unlike other oceans, which are known to have specific “hotspots” where predators, including seabirds, gather in large numbers to feed, the Indian Ocean lacks such concentrated feeding areas, a recent paper has revealed. This lack of hotspots is particularly concerning given the various threats seabirds face due to human activities.[…]

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  • Saya de Malha leaves for its third dFAD clean-up expedition

    (Seychelles Nation) The Saya de Malha vessel of the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) left Port Victoria yesterday afternoon for its third drifting Fishing Aggregate Devices (dFAD) expedition clean-up exercise in Seychelles territorial waters and shores of the outer islands. As customary since the first expedition in October 2022, students from Seychelles[…]

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Coming Soon!

Coral Aquaculture Facility!

coral aquaculture web banner

We have started work on the Assisted Recovery of Corals (ARC) facility to revolutionise our coral reef restoration process Learn more

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Implementing the SDGs

At Nature Seychelles we are committed to working with government, development partners and donors in implementing relevant actions, in particular, looking at certain goals where we can build on our existing strengths. Read more

Seychelles Wildlife

Natural environment of the Seychelles

Seychelles is a unique environment, which sustains a very special biodiversity. It is special for a number of different reasons. These are the oldest oceanic islands to be found anywhere...

Bird Watching

Seychelles is a paradise for birdwatchers, you can easily see the unique land birds, the important sea bird colonies, and the host of migrants and vagrants. Some sea bird...

Seychelles Black Parrot

Black Parrot or Kato Nwar in Creolee is brown-grey in colour, not truly black. Many bird experts treat it as a local form of a species found in Madagascar and...

Fairy Tern

The Fairy (or white) Tern is a beautiful bird seen on all islands in Seychelles, even islands like Mahe where they are killed by introduced rats, cats and Barn Owls....

Introduced Land Birds

A little over two hundred years ago, there were no humans living permanently in Seychelles. When settlement occurred, people naturally brought with them the animals and plants they needed to...

Native Birds

Although over 190 different species of bird have been seen on or around the central islands of Seychelles (and the number is increasing all the time), many of these are...

Migrant Shore Birds

Shallow seas and estuaries are very rich in invertebrate life. Many birds feed on the worms, crabs and shellfish in these habitats; often, they have long bills for probing sand...

Seychelles Magpie Robin

The most endangered of the endemic birds, Seychelles Magpie Robin or Pi Santez in Creole, came close to extinction in the late twentieth century; in 1970 there were only about...

Seychelles Blue Pigeon

The Seychelles Blue Pigeon or Pizon Olande in Creole, spends much of its life in the canopy of trees and eats the fruits of figs, bwa dir, ylang ylang and...

Seychelles White-eye

The Seychelles White-eye or Zwazo Linet in Creole, is rare and endemic. They may sometimes be seen in gardens and forest over 300m at La Misere, Cascade and a few...

Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher

The Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher or the Vev in Creole is endemic to Seychelles, you cannot find this bird anywhere else on earth. Although it was once widespread on...

Seychelles Sunbird

The tiny sunbird or Kolibri in Creole, is one of the few endemic species that has thrived since humans arrived in the Seychelles.

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Achievements

  • Stopped near extinctions of birds +

    Down-listing of the critically endangered Seychelles warbler from Critically Endangered to Near Threatened. Other Seychelles birds have also been saved including the Seychelles Magpie Robin, Seychelles Fody, and the Seychelles
  • Restored whole island ecosystems +

    We transformed Cousin Island from a coconut plantation to a thriving vibrant and diverse island ecosystem. Success achieved on Cousin was replicated on other islands with similar conservation activities.
  • Championed climate change solutions +

    Nature Seychelles has risen to the climate change challenge in our region in creative ways to adapt to the inevitable changing of times.
  • Education and Awareness +

    We have been at the forefront of environmental education, particularly with schools and Wildlife clubs
  • Sustainable Tourism +

    We manage the award-winning eco-tourism programme on Cousin Island started in 1970
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Minister lauds Nature Seychelles Heritage Garden

Visitors at heritage gardenA model garden that promotes the propagation and use of traditional food and medicinal plants was opened amidst much praise at the Nature Seychelles' Centre for Education and Environment. The garden is part of the Heritage Gardens project, initiated by Nature Seychelles and Wildlife Clubs of Seychelles with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and Ministry of Education. The Garden was officially opened on 16 October 2009 on the occasion of World Food Day.

On hand for the opening was the Minister for Environment, Natural Resources and Transport, Mr. Joel Morgan. Mr Morgan lauded Nature Seychelles efforts in establishing the model garden saying we need to take steps towards achieving food security. Seychelles was not spared by the twin food and fuel crisis in 2007/2008 that fuelled an economic downturn, the minister said. Faced with this challenge, last year, the government launched its Food Security Strategy 2008/2011.

Under the auspices of this strategy and as part of the celebrations, Nature Seychelles and the Seychelles Agriculture Agency signed a Memorandum of Agreement.

"The MOU attest further to the Government’s wish to see the development of public-private partnership in the Seychelles".  The Minister said.

The opening was witnessed by Members of the National Assembly,  District Administrators, Principal Secretaries, officials

Mr. Morgan with Shah and other guests tour the garden

from the Seychelles Agriculture Agency and Seychelles Fishing Authority, Wildlife Clubs leaders and members, and the public. It was followed by a tour of the garden. The garden is looked after by a member of the Nature Seychelles staff with the enthusiastic help of wildlife club members and school children on school break.  They assist with such activities as potting of seedlings, replanting them, mulching and enriching the soil. Composting and rain water harvesting is also done.

Visitors were astonished to see what could be achieved with a little care and innovation, and were pleasantly surprised to find old and loved plants flourishing here.

"It is pleasing to see the response we got from the public and very heart warming to glimpse a resurgence of interest in preserving Seychellois agro-diversity". Says Nirmal Shah, Nature Seychelles' CEO. "Heritage Gardens serve the dual purpose of preserving a rich biological and cultural heritage, and encouraging a return to nature."

Heritage Gardens are being promoted in schools and the community. So far 22 school-based clubs have started small to medium sized gardens.  Wildlife Clubs members Elissa Lalande and Isis Rath said that this is being done to show that it is possible to make use of spaces in and around homes, schools, community and work places for these gardens.

The Heritage Gardens Project has won many admirers since its start in 2005. In 2007 it was honoured by the Commonwealth Youth Development Fund for “preserving and maintaining an important part of Seychelles culture and traditions that is in danger of being lost".  The citation by the Commonwealth read in part, "the Project is of benefit to local communities. It adds value to the communities and their local resources by promoting understanding of the value of the plants that are around us, that fosters care of the local environment and a sustainable attitude to the use and continued existence of plant diversity.”

Attachments:
Download this file (373_Heritage Garden opening_Shah Speech.doc)Heritage Garden Opening - Nirmal Shah speech[Speech by Nature Seychelles CEO during the official opening of the Heritage Garden at Roche Caiman]30 kB
Download this file (373_Speech for Official Opening of Heritage Garden 14 10 09.pdf)Minister Joel Morgan speech[Speech by Minister Joel Morgan for the Official Opening of the Heritage Garden on the occasion of World Food Day, at Roche Caiman on Friday 16th October 2009]27 kB

Partners & Awards

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Our History

Since 1998.

Seychelles Nature, Green HealthClimate Change, Biodiversity Conservation & Sustainability Organisation

@CousinIsland Manager

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Roche Caiman, Mahe

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Centre for Environment & Education

Roche Caiman,

P.O. Box 1310, Mahe, Seychelles

Tel:+ 248 2519090

Email: nature@seychelles.net