A Report from Nature Seychelles’ International Volunteer Program

Having never seen a turtle on land before, I have found it breathtaking to see the movement and behavior of beautiful sea turtles on the beaches of Cousin Island Special Reserve. Volunteering on Cousin during the final months of the year means I get to be part of the madness of turtle nesting season. Critically Endangered Hawksbill turtles surface from the sea between September and March to lay their eggs on one of their most important nesting sites in the region.

 University of Seychelles students reading the infomation material by the Heritage Garden (file photo)

At Nature Seychelles, the proverbial music never stops, when it comes to new projects, activities and partnerships. The most recent partnership with The University of Warmia and Mazury (UWM) in Olsztyn, Poland, is set to bring changes to the face of The Sanctuary in Roche Caiman.

A report from Nature Seychelles’ International Volunteer Program

Volunteering with Nature Seychelles on Cousin Island Special Reserve has provided me the unique opportunity to get involved in the monitoring work of endangered species found on the island. Being able to ring a Magpie Robin chick is a special experience, unique to the Seychelles, and one that I will never forget.

At Nature Seychelles’ Heritage (organic) Garden we are constantly trying to innovate to get people to take charge of what Nature Seychelles’ Chief Executive, Dr Nirmal Jivan Shah calls their own “food system”. One of our main thrusts always has been promoting urban gardening and getting people even in apartments to grow herbs, spices and vegetables to improve their health and reduce their food budget and their carbon footprint.