The joys and challenges of working in a biodiversity paradise: A personal diary (Part Two)
Living on Cousin Island Special Reserve can be challenging at times, not that anyone believes you when you complain about the heat or the mosquitoes but that is the price you pay for living in paradise. We collect drinking water from the neighbouring island of Praslin and the tap water on the island comes from a well in the central marsh area, the water gets pumped up the hill to a reservoir and from there travels to each of the 10 houses on the island.
Currently the island’s electrics run from a generator but we have recently and successfully completed a crowd-funding campaign-perhaps the first of its kind- to generate enough funds to install solar power across the island. Cousin is the first carbon neutral reserve in the world and we aim to make it emission free also. The campaign rallied support from all over the globe via online media with our largest donation coming from a UK energy company Utilitia. Other smaller donations came from an electrical engineering company named E.V Bullens, amongst other organisations via their corporate responsibility funds.
Managing director of Utilitia Mr Bill Bullen said “We are really pleased to get this chance to support a conservation project of global importance.” We hope to have solar power installed by the end of the year, the wardens and I will certainly appreciate having 24-hour electricity.
The strict regulations that are enforced on Cousin as a Special Reserve under the National Parks and Nature Conservancy Act of Seychelles restricts all human disturbances outside of scientific study, environmental monitoring and education. Each weekday morning tourists, locals and school groups are able to visit the island and take a tour given by one of the reserve wardens. Nature Seychelles prides itself in having a highly skilled set of Seychellois wardens, who are mentored by chief warden Thomas Hiney.
The wardens have been trained to a high standard and are able to give accurate and educational tours on the island’s flora and fauna. Aside from this they are heavily involved in conservation projects, have been trained in bird ringing, first aid, scuba diving, monitoring methods, boat driving and engine maintenance.
“It’s vitally important to invest time and training in the young Seychellois population, it’s our opinion that only through enabling and encouraging the Seychelles youth to be passionate about their environment do we have a chance for projects like Cousin to continue to be successful, “ says Thomas .”I feel that Cousin is a great example of this practice with many previous Wardens continuing in the Seychelles Conservation sector and having regular visits from local schools and youth wildlife clubs, Tourism Academy and Marine Academy enables us to continue to reach the potential Wardens of Tomorrow.”
The future for Cousin Island is a bright one. Its protected status and management by Nature Seychelles will ensure it continues to be fully protected against development and habitat degradation. Nature Seychelles is committed to the long-term protection and conservation of this precious island and its surrounding waters. It is our aim to continue pushing the boundaries of conservation biology, to set obtainable but high end goals such as the down listing of endangered species.
Cousin is the island owned by birds. I have lived here for two years and have learnt an important lesson; the rewards of nature and its success are infinitely more appealing and more gratifying than the idea of success we humans usually attribute to our careers.
by April Burt, Conservation Manager. Cousin Island
Photos: 1) April out in the water 2) April doing marine monitoring of coral fish, invertebrates and baby corals 3) Turtle tagging 4) Bird ringing
