It's a cloudy morning on Cousin Island. It's been raining the whole week and the ground and vegetation are wet. The mosquitoes are breeding and biting. Ignoring the discomfort, the island's science officer, accompanied by two plucky volunteers, heads for territories T2A and T2B to check for Seychelles Magpie Robins, an endangered species endemic to Seychelles.

It's smelly and a bit messy to excavate a turtle's nest. It is the ultimate test of one's olfactory endurance and commitment to wildlife conservation.

16 members of the LEAP Junior Club from Port Glaud Primary and Anse Boileau Secondary schools spent last Friday exploring Port Launay Marine National Park, through snorkeling, defying the cloudy and rainy weather that lasted throughout the day. The activity was organised by the Locally Empowered Area Protection (LEAP) project team of Rafaela Gameiro, Jack Coupland, and Lydnen Gomme as part of ocean education and awareness for the club. Its aim was to help the children appreciate the diverse and vibrant marine life that exists beneath the surface of the ocean at their doorstep.

In 2022, Nature Seychelles outplanted 4,000 coral fragments, grown in 4 underwater nurseries in the Cousin Island Special Reserve Marine Protected Area (MPA), according to the environmental NGO.