In July and August, partners of the Wetlands of Hope Pledge celebrated Mangrove Day with a variety of activities across different wetlands in Mahé. The International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem is celebrated on July 26, and this year’s theme is “Protect Wetlands for Our Future.” Through the “Wetlands of Hope” project, which is funded by the European Union, Nature Seychelles is collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change, and Environment (MACCE) and several private sector organizations to ensure wetlands are managed effectively.
On July 24, the Nature Seychelles LEAP team joined with Air Seychelles, MACCE and the LEAP Junior Club at Anse Boileau Secondary School for a special mangrove planting and restoration event at the Caiman Estate wetland in Anse Boileau. Air Seychelles has adopted this wetland.
On Friday, August 1, Nature Seychelles, Canopy by Hilton Seychelles, and the Junior LEAP Club hosted a mangrove planting event at the resort, where 100 seedlings across two different spots were planted. This event also served as an opportunity to clean up some of the garbage that had washed ashore in the wetland.
“Mangroves are the guardians of the ecosystem. We have different species breeding here. You are protecting the coastal area. And we are starting today – 100 more seeds of hope for the future.” Bruno Santos, Resort Manager, Canopy
Then, on August 8, 2025, Absa Bank Seychelles, the Department of Climate Change and Energy, Nature Seychelles, and the LEAP Junior Club joined forces for wetland conservation activities at the Petit Barbarons wetland, which has been adopted by ABSA Bank. Even with the rainy weather, 50 eager participants got involved in hands-on activities designed to deepen their understanding of mangrove conservation. They received GPS training, which equipped ABSA staff with the skills to mark and track various mangroves for effective monitoring in the future. Participants also enjoyed an engaging introduction to inventory methods for monitoring the mangrove ecosystem, learning to identify different species and track their growth and health. The ABSA team got their hands dirty by collecting mud to fill 200 poly pots, which were later planted with propagules of red, yellow, and oriental mangroves. These will be nurtured as part of ongoing restoration efforts at the site. This event marked ABSA Bank’s fifth wetland conservation initiative at Petit Barbarons since signing a Memorandum of Understanding with MACCE.