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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US Navy docks at Roche Caiman

Countless bags and countless trips to move the red soil

Nature Seychelles was earlier this week graced by twenty helping hands from the US Navy whose ship had just ported into the country. The group from the USS James E Williams DEG95 ship normal operations include keeping the waters of the Indian Ocean safe, more so from piracy. After being out to sea for several months, they volunteered at The Sanctuary in Roche Caiman as part of their community relations program, carrying out various gruelling maintenance tasks at the site.

“Pulling into Seychelles and Mauritius has always been favourable to our community relations work. So we try to do as many as we can and work our schedule around it,” says Chaplain Ray Adkins who has worked with the navy for six years in a three pronged capacity. Apart from the religious/spiritual vocation that his role entails, Adkins also provides counselling and organises community relations work in the countries where the ship ports. 

 Clearing the channel to the sea is a great wildlife boost for The Sanctuary

Through the American Embassy in Seychelles, Adkins organised for a whole day of channel digging, clearing of invasive species and moving red soil at The Sanctuary. “It is important for the group to do community relations work because it allows them to get outside the ship and do something different. It also allows them to give back to the community,” Adkins explained. 

The work carried out by the Navy at The Sanctuary not only saved the organisation countless hours of manual labour, but also helped in improving the site as a wildlife habitat. By deepening the channel that connects the wetland to the sea, this will help in increasing the frequency the site is connected to the sea - at high as well as low tide. This in turn translates to an increase in the marine wildlife traffic thus speeding up the colonisation of the site.

 Felling trees by hand and machete

In so far as vegetation is concerned, several Casuarina (Australian pine) and Tabebuia pallida (roble/ trumpet) trees were cleared as they are an invasive species that degrade rather than improve the wetland habitat. Several mangrove seeds were also planted by a few members of the group. Additionally, by loosening and moving a mound of red soil that was beside the office to the Heritage (organic) Garden, the red soil is now closer to where it is needed.

“That was probably one of the most physical labours that we’ve done but it’s not by far the only,” Adkins said later in the afternoon. “We can be painting in schools, redecorating rooms, putting in door knobs, busting walls and refurbishing, painting, clean up, landscaping work, you name it” he said in giving examples of indoor as well as outdoor volunteer work that the Navy does in many countries.

 Separating the rocks from the sand

“Rather than just make it a port visit, we like to build relationships with the people in the country,” Michael Scarborough, the Public Affairs Officer explained. “It is great to be able to learn from each other and have a better understanding of different people and therefore strengthen the relationship between the US Navy and the countries we visit.”

Even back at home, it seems that the modus operandi for these sailors is to be involved in some kind of community work. “I like giving back. I do a lot of community work at home as well,” Rashida Robe a second class petty officer in the US Navy said cheerfully, seemingly un-phased by the hours of manual labour that they had just carried out. “It’s nothing like we did today. We do family days with food banks where we collect food around holiday times and give to the needy,” she explained.

Partners & Awards

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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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Centre for Environment & Education

Roche Caiman,

P.O. Box 1310, Mahe, Seychelles

Tel:+ 248 2519090

Email: nature@seychelles.net