SEYCHELLES, Mahe Island - January 2009
Refurbishment of the Wildlife Clubs of Seychelles visitors center at Roche Caiman in support of a 7.5-acre reclaimed wetland
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The Seychelle Archipelago is composed of 50 coralline and 40 granitic islands in the Indian Ocean, and has a population of 80,000. The Wildlife Clubs of Seychelles (WCS), a NGO for young people, was formed in 1994 to promote conservation action through environmental education. 8,445 children in 40 clubs in most schools around the Seychelles are members of WCS. WCS works to implement educational programs and experience-based learning to create a sustainable future, with an emphasis on "hilltop to ocean" ecosystem management. The Centre for Environment and Education attracts a steady stream of visitors per year with approximately 50 school groups as well as other community groups. Adjacent to the garden, Nature Seychelles and WCS have collaboratively designed a 7.5-acre wetland area, the Sanctuary at Roche Caiman. Species protected at the wetland include fresh water turtles, the endemic killifish, mud and water crabs, skinks and lizards, 11 of the Seychelles' 18 dragonfly species, and many migratory bird species. To better accommodate the growing number of visitors to the Centre, Seacology will fund improvements to the Centre including a redesign of the exhibition hall, displays regarding different ecosystems, a library corner, art section, audio-visual equipment and more in support of the 7.5-acre reclaimed wetland. *
UPDATE June 2009 - As of February 2009 the on-site coordinator for the project left the field. Seacology received confirmation from the newly hired project coordinator that they will be working in conjunction with Nature Seychelles to complete the project. The project is scheduled to begin May 2009. A Seacology delegation will visit the Seychelles in June 2009.
UPDATE February 2010 - As of February 2010 WCS reports that the interior decor project at Nature Seychelles was successfully completed in 2009, however due to additional funding the portion of Seacology funds needed was much less than anticipated. The Heritage Garden at Nature Seychelles was successfully launched in October 2009 and the heritage garden manual is nearing completion. A wildlife clubs festival was held on Saturday November 28th, 2009 and 17 clubs participated with a total of about 150 children. The event was covered extensively on the evening news on Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation television station. With the remaining Seacology funds WCS plans to work with a group of at least ten wildlife clubs to help them create educational murals and resource rooms for their schools, as well as plans to help all of our clubs enhance their work at school level to plant, maintain and use their own heritage gardens.
UPDATE July 2010 - As of July 2010 some 15 clubs have applied for and received mini-grants and are currently implementing projects. The Heritage Garden and wetland manuals have not yet been completed as the drafts of both are still with Nature Seychelles and WCS has decided to redo their own. They are developing these resources in collaboration with the Department of Environment and they should be printed by October 2010. The handbook for WCS leaders is also in draft form; this document will replace the last version of a handbook produced in the late 1990s. The Wildlife Clubs Magazine should be completed by November 2010 and will focus on wetlands and biodiversity, with a special feature on the year of biodiversity. Over 200 members of wildlife clubs joined together for a successful rally on biodiversity conservation held as part of the opening ceremony of the National Show – a major national event held on June 18-20 to celebrate National Day. Some of the Seacology grant funds were used to provide clubs with paint and some other materials to prepare costumes and banners for the rally. The rally was witnessed by several hundred people at the show and also televised live. Wildlife Clubs also mounted a display for the show which was up for the duration of the weekend. Seacology funds were used to produce a portable display for the event which we will also be able to use for future events and outreach. WCS has also purchased a printer using Seacology funds to enable them to make copies and printouts for workshops and events more easily.
UPDATE June 2011 - During 2010, the WCS board of directors disbursed 13 mini-grants (of about USD $250 each) to support school wildlife clubs’ efforts to reach out to school and wider community. Several of the clubs created or improved on school heritage gardens (with fruit trees, endemic plants, medicinal plants and local crops), installed rainwater harvesting systems for their gardens, many of them created environmental murals on school walls, and about five clubs created environmental resource rooms for their meetings and for use by other groups or classes to support environmental learning. Having access to these small grants has inspired the clubs to do more action-oriented projects in their schools and this year WCS staff has observed that many of them are keeping up the momentum with support from other community partners. This year, a few more wildlife clubs are doing murals in their schools with support from Seacology funds, but most of WCS’ efforts are focused on producing printed materials and closing the project. Seacology funds were used to produce 1,000 copies of a full-color children’s magazine on wetlands which will be disbursed this month to all of the local schools. The club leaders’ manual has been written and is going to print soon, and a heritage garden manual for clubs and other community groups is being rewritten and printed as well. The project is now scheduled to close at the end of June 2011.
*Support for asterisked projects is provided fully or in part by: 
