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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How we are dealing with the hairy caterpillars

During one of the regular inspections of the foliage at the wetland sanctuary and heritage (organic) garden by Nature Seychelles’ staff, it was discovered that the site had an infestation of the ‘hairy caterpillars’.

There have been various reports of infestations on several islands in Seychelles of the yet to be identified caterpillars. Some schools had to be closed down for fumigation as the caterpillars cause painful rashes when their hairs come into contact with the skin.

The Division of Risk and Disaster Management (DRDM) is now spearheading a strategy to combat the caterpillar infestation. They will be working in collaboration with the National Plant Protection Office (NPPO), the Plant and Animal Health Services (PAHS) and the Seychelles Agricultural Agency (SAA); a welcome piece of news, as several methods of eradicating the caterpillars continue to be applied at The Sanctuary.

 The skin immediately becomes irritated and a rash appears on contact with the caterpillar hairs

On receiving the information that the caterpillars had been spotted at The Sanctuary, Robin Hanson, Nature Seychelles’ Green Health Manager set out to identify the trees with the caterpillars. This was two weeks ago.

“There were four trees in a localised area within our site that had caterpillars,” Robin explains. “There is also one tree beside our premises that also had quite a few caterpillars on it.” He then went on to contact the department of environment and a private pest control business for information on handling the pest.

Robin then bought a bottle of Nilinsect, an organic and therefore environmentally friendly insecticide from the Union Vale agricultural store. It was advised that the spray should be applied after five in the afternoon as the strong daylight rays could reduce its potency. The spray should also only be applied every 12-15 days.

 The sticking agent in the insecticide is important in preventing allergy after the caterpillar is dead

Rather than just killing the insects the spray has a sticky agent that binds the allergy causing hairs. The spray also killed and other pests that were in the nearby garden area as it is effective on a multitude of insects. However, it was noticed that only the smaller caterpillars had been killed while the more mature ones and the eggs were not greatly affected by the spray.

“I then decided to go and buy a kerosene torch and extra wick so that we could use the flame to kill the eggs and mature caterpillars,” Robin explains. By hovering the flame lightly over the leaves, careful not to start a fire, it was then possible to clear more of the larger caterpillars while singeing their hairs.

Several higher branches were also pruned and these allowed to fall into the wetland. Although this was great in terms of providing more nutrients into the water and creating new micro-habitats under the water, it was discovered that the caterpillars were not completely dealt with as the caterpillars and their hairs do not break the surface tension but rather float in the water.

 Using a flame to singe the hairy caterpillars

The infestation has so far reduced greatly especially after the second application, which would have eliminated any newly hatched caterpillars . The challenge remains not being able to control new infestations from neighbouring sites. For instance, it is uncertain whether and how much of an infestation there is in the adjacent tree covered private property.

During this time, Nature Seychelles staff and visitor movements were limited to certain areas of the Heritage(organic) Garden and The Sanctuary to avoid any contact with the caterpillars. Additionally, staff working on spraying, singeing and pruning wore protective gear while working. The only allergic reaction to the hairy caterpillars at The Sanctuary so far was experienced by Robin.

“I did not wear protective clothing against the caterpillar when I got into the water to cut a branch,” he says. “I was only wearing the waders unaware that the hairs were still in the water.”

 

Partners & Awards

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Our History

Since 1998.

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

@CousinIsland Manager

Facebook: http://goo.gl/Q9lXM

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