Lately Nature Seychelles’ trail blazing in eco-conservation concerns and amalgamating New media technologies has attracted the attention of the Seychellois public interested in discovering what makes this NGO resonate with such vibrance amongst the youth.
Nature Seychelles’ in conservation has continued to attract the attention of the Seychellois public interested in discovering what makes the environment tick.
Late last week, Nature Seychelles’ senior staff led by the CEO Nirmal Shah hosted the Secretariat of the National Assembly who were led by Mrs Marie Neolla Azemia in a guided tour of Nature Seychelles facilities. The tour covered the Sanctuary at Roche Caiman, the Centre for Environmental Education (CEE) and was wrapped up by a visit to the award winning Heritage Garden’s where the visitors sampled eye-catching plant species.
The National Assembly staffers not only mingled freely with the environmental defenders but also had an opportunity to view rich biodiversity.
“Our mantra is neatly exemplified in the words, ‘for people, for wildlife for Seychelles.’ This is because we believe that biodiversity and its surrounding heritage has its own intrinsic value as well as multiple sustainable values for human beings.” Shah revealed this in his welcoming speech to the over 15 National Assembly staffers.
Soon after the welcoming remarks, Nature Seychelles Education and Advocacy Coordinator Lyndy Bastienne took over and explained to the visitors of the importance of the Centre for Environmental Education and its role in empowering Seychellois. Ms Bastienne continued to explain of Nature Seychelles’ agenda, which is to make the CEE a world class environmental training facility for the Western Indian Ocean hemisphere. Site Support and Social Marketing Manager, Terence Vel later guided the visitors to the now famous boardwalk that snakes along the scenic settings that define the Sanctuary at Roche Caiman.
The Heritage Gardens which also serves as a central nursery and demonstration site to propagate rare and almost vanishing food, medicinal and other useful plants was a star feature of attraction for the National Assembly staffers, They became very excited in knowing more about the use and value of the various plant species planted there and also exchanged their own personal experiences with such plants.
The Heritage Garden at Roche Caiman was established with an intention of acting as a demonstration site and also as a research facility for students for the Heritage Garden Project which has been established in schools by the Wildlife Clubs of Seychelles with the assistance of Nature Seychelles, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Ministry of Education.
The Heritage Gardens Project has won many admirers. It was cited by the Commonwealth for “preserving and maintaining an important part of Seychelles culture and traditions that is in danger of being lost, 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.”
“I am surprised at how our Garden at Roche Caiman has become a popular place to visit by school and community groups. We are working at making it a fully fledged Garden site open to the public in the not so distant future.” said Lucina Denis, Nature Seychelles’s’ horticulturist.
“For us to continue this great work, the Heritage Gardens project needs funding” says Kerstin Henri, Nature Seychelles’s Project Coordinator and Economist. “Corporate sponsors, Donors and others need to know we are trying to preserve and propagate a rich heritage of agro-biodiversity especially in an age where food security has become a huge problem” she continues.
Nature Seychelles is calling on all interested parties to provide resources for this important project which is introducing young people to plants that were valued by their parents and is connecting several generations of Seychellois to become custodians of a rich heritage. Please contact us at: nature@seychelles.net or on telephone number +248 601100.[ENDS]