The presence of turtles at Cousin Island Special Reserve brings a sense of joy and wonder to all who see them. Staff and volunteers describe being deeply moved each time they see a turtle nesting.

As I approached, Chris Tagg, our conservation officer, was shovelling sand out of a hole. "Did he finally snap?" I wondered. I knew he hadn’t had a wink of sleep as some of us had been up until 3 am the previous night waiting for a Green turtle (Chelonia mydas, Torti d'Mer in Creole) to nest.

Nature Seychelles has made two women from the Netherlands - Janet Mulder and Nancy Willekens - “Friends of Cousin Island". This is an accolade that honours individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the special reserve. Janet and Nancy were recognized for organizing a fundraising campaign to conserve Hawksbill turtles and Aldabra giant tortoises. A third woman, Krista Kuijers, was also acknowledged for contributing to the campaign on a regular basis.

Our children are growing up in a world that is experiencing rapid biodiversity loss. Therefore, environmental education plays a crucial role in their learning. It teaches them to be conscious citizens, develops values and attitudes that help rather than damage nature, and equips and empowers them to help save biodiversity.