News and Blogs

  1. Latest News
  2. Cousin Island News
  3. Blue Economy Seychelles
  4. Green Health Blog
  • Research: Roaming seabirds need ocean-wide protection, research shows

    Unlike other oceans, which are known to have specific “hotspots” where predators, including seabirds, gather in large numbers to feed, the Indian Ocean lacks such concentrated feeding areas, a recent paper has revealed. This lack of hotspots is particularly concerning given the various threats seabirds face due to human activities.[…]

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  • Saya de Malha leaves for its third dFAD clean-up expedition

    (Seychelles Nation) The Saya de Malha vessel of the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) left Port Victoria yesterday afternoon for its third drifting Fishing Aggregate Devices (dFAD) expedition clean-up exercise in Seychelles territorial waters and shores of the outer islands. As customary since the first expedition in October 2022, students from Seychelles[…]

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Coming Soon!

Coral Aquaculture Facility!

coral aquaculture web banner

We have started work on the Assisted Recovery of Corals (ARC) facility to revolutionise our coral reef restoration process Learn more

Find Us On ...

Implementing the SDGs

At Nature Seychelles we are committed to working with government, development partners and donors in implementing relevant actions, in particular, looking at certain goals where we can build on our existing strengths. Read more

Seychelles Wildlife

Natural environment of the Seychelles

Seychelles is a unique environment, which sustains a very special biodiversity. It is special for a number of different reasons. These are the oldest oceanic islands to be found anywhere...

Bird Watching

Seychelles is a paradise for birdwatchers, you can easily see the unique land birds, the important sea bird colonies, and the host of migrants and vagrants. Some sea bird...

Seychelles Black Parrot

Black Parrot or Kato Nwar in Creolee is brown-grey in colour, not truly black. Many bird experts treat it as a local form of a species found in Madagascar and...

Fairy Tern

The Fairy (or white) Tern is a beautiful bird seen on all islands in Seychelles, even islands like Mahe where they are killed by introduced rats, cats and Barn Owls....

Introduced Land Birds

A little over two hundred years ago, there were no humans living permanently in Seychelles. When settlement occurred, people naturally brought with them the animals and plants they needed to...

Native Birds

Although over 190 different species of bird have been seen on or around the central islands of Seychelles (and the number is increasing all the time), many of these are...

Migrant Shore Birds

Shallow seas and estuaries are very rich in invertebrate life. Many birds feed on the worms, crabs and shellfish in these habitats; often, they have long bills for probing sand...

Seychelles Magpie Robin

The most endangered of the endemic birds, Seychelles Magpie Robin or Pi Santez in Creole, came close to extinction in the late twentieth century; in 1970 there were only about...

Seychelles Blue Pigeon

The Seychelles Blue Pigeon or Pizon Olande in Creole, spends much of its life in the canopy of trees and eats the fruits of figs, bwa dir, ylang ylang and...

Seychelles White-eye

The Seychelles White-eye or Zwazo Linet in Creole, is rare and endemic. They may sometimes be seen in gardens and forest over 300m at La Misere, Cascade and a few...

Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher

The Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher or the Vev in Creole is endemic to Seychelles, you cannot find this bird anywhere else on earth. Although it was once widespread on...

Seychelles Sunbird

The tiny sunbird or Kolibri in Creole, is one of the few endemic species that has thrived since humans arrived in the Seychelles.

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Achievements

  • Stopped near extinctions of birds +

    Down-listing of the critically endangered Seychelles warbler from Critically Endangered to Near Threatened. Other Seychelles birds have also been saved including the Seychelles Magpie Robin, Seychelles Fody, and the Seychelles
  • Restored whole island ecosystems +

    We transformed Cousin Island from a coconut plantation to a thriving vibrant and diverse island ecosystem. Success achieved on Cousin was replicated on other islands with similar conservation activities.
  • Championed climate change solutions +

    Nature Seychelles has risen to the climate change challenge in our region in creative ways to adapt to the inevitable changing of times.
  • Education and Awareness +

    We have been at the forefront of environmental education, particularly with schools and Wildlife clubs
  • Sustainable Tourism +

    We manage the award-winning eco-tourism programme on Cousin Island started in 1970
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You Can Help Start a Sustainable Organic Seychelles - Fundraising gourmet dinner at Botanica Restaurant

The Botanica Restaurant is passionate about sourcing local produce

On Saturday the 29th of November, Botanica Restaurant in Saint Louis, Mahe will host a fundraising dinner towards the launch of an organic network in Seychelles. Nature Seychelles, Geffroy’s Farm and Botanica Restaurant, have come together to initiate the creation of this network with the aim of bettering the wellbeing of the Seychelles people, environment and indeed, economy.

The organic network, dubbed Sustainable Organic Seychelles (SOS) will facilitate the coming together of interested parties from government, private sector and civil society to move towards sustainable food production for Seychelles including organic farming. When Dr. Nirmal Shah, Nature Seychelles’ CEO approached the Seychelles Agricultural Agency (SAA) and proposed the initiative, SAA’s CEO, Mark Naiken supported the idea saying that the time had come for such a network in the country.

Organic farming is production using environmentally and people friendly methods, without the use of harmful chemical pesticides. Organic farms therefore are those that use techniques that appreciate the link between how food is produced and the health of people, animals and the environment. Organic farming makes it easier for both animals and plants to be able to resist diseases. The same is true for people who eat organic foods. The health benefits are vast for instance reduced exposure to harmful pesticides used on farms or antibiotics used on animals.

 Geffroy's farm uses eco-friendly as well as innovative farming techniques

“I do not really want to use chemical pesticides on my farm because it is not good for me and my family, it is not good for the environment and therefore not good for Seychelles,” Jean-Paul Geffroy said in an interview. Jean-Paul, part owner of Geffroy’s farm is already applying eco-friendly farming methods in the yield of vegetables and fruits on his farm, but his ambition is to move full scale into organic production.

Jean-Paul uses steam to clear the soil on his land of pathogens rather than chemicals. Walking through the farm, it is hard to miss the bright yellow plastic plates smeared with grease, which are placed around the farm to trap insects. Another device used to avoid spraying of harmful pesticides. The soil on Geffroy’s farm is also developed through crop rotation, compost and manure, rather than applying artificial fertilizers.

People all over the world are also being encouraged to buy locally. We usually know who has produced the local foods so we can know what has gone into the production. Locally produced foods also have a small ecological footprint – Seychelles imports over 70% of its non-fish foodstuffs and this has a massive carbon footprint because of the transport and storage.

 Picking golden apple at the Heritage Garden

Nature Seychelles’ Heritage (organic) Garden in Roche Caiman acts as a demonstration farm for people to learn of the foods that they can grow locally and how to do so organically. Nature Seychelles’ work is geared towards the protection of the wildlife, environment and people of Seychelles. Organic farming practices reduce pollution as well as encouraging soil and water conservation and the network’s aims are thus in line with the conservation values of the organisation.

“SOS is an idea whose time has come. People have become concerned about what they put in their body because finally, they understand the links between food and health. Also it is clear that what is bad for the natural environment is also bad for people,” says Dr Shah. “By getting a farmer, a restaurant and an environmental NGO together as the initial members of this network we are highlighting the life cycle of food production.”

Christelle Verheyden the owner of Botanic is a well known chef, food designer, restaurant consultant and writer. She has been using local products for quite a while and is passionate about incorporating them into gourmet food. “I am convinced that Seychelles has many of the ingredients necessary for gastronomic cuisine” she says.

  Botanica Restaurant by night

Botanica Restaurant strives to serve meals that are prepared from locally sourced foods as will be the case at the fundraising dinner on the 29th of November. The aim is to prove that products from Seychelles can be used in gastronomic cuisine. The dinner will cost 2,500 rupees per person for which guests will be served a five-course wine pairing meal.

“I hope and I wish that others join us so that we make this network a proper organization that can initiate change. So please come and enjoy this unique fundraising dinner and help start the movement for a sustainable and organic Seychelles,” says Dr. Shah.

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Our History

Since 1998.

Seychelles Nature, Green HealthClimate Change, Biodiversity Conservation & Sustainability Organisation

@CousinIsland Manager

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Roche Caiman, Mahe

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We accept donations. Your support and generosity help us continue with our work in nature conservation in Seychelles. Email nature@seychelles.netdonate

Contact Us

Centre for Environment & Education

Roche Caiman,

P.O. Box 1310, Mahe, Seychelles

Tel:+ 248 2519090

Email: nature@seychelles.net