COUSIN ISLAND SPECIAL RESERVE
VOLUNTEERS MANUAL
Produced January 2008
Updated December 2012
1. Introduction
This manual provides resources and information
to help prepare volunteers, both before they
leave for Seychelles, and once they arrive on
Cousin Island Special Reserve. It is not meant to
be definitive, but to provide an insight into what
may be expected. It will be updated as required.
For any further queries or information, please
contact Nature Seychelles at
[email protected]
2. About Nature Seychelles
Nature Seychelles is a leading, award winning,
non-profit Association registered under the laws
of Seychelles. We have taken over the longrunning programme of outstanding work by
Birdlife International, which operated in
Seychelles since 1968. We have successfully
implemented many outstanding projects in
Seychelles and work with regional and
international partners and donors including The
World Bank, The Global Environment Facility
(GEF) IUCN, BirdLife International, the RSPB,
WWF, WIOMSA and many others.
Nature Seychelles undertakes a large suite of
activities including the following:
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with prior arrangement with the Chief Warden
for storage, washing and showering.
2.1.2 Nature Seychelles office on Mahé
The Nature Seychelles office on Mahé, at the
Centre for Environment and Education at Roche
Caiman has a guestroom with a bunk bed, a
kitchen and shower facilities. This is used for
volunteers and researchers as transit between
international flights. The use of Internet and
email is free, but responsible use is requested.
The office administration officer will assist you
with any queries.
Whilst on Mahé, volunteers may be able to stay
at the Centre by arrangement. It is located
about 3km out of the Victoria town centre.
Shops are nearby, and buses are frequent. There
is a night-time security guard as a precaution.
Volunteers will generally stay not more than 1-2
days at the Centre, long enough to do
preparations and orientation and for exit. If
volunteers want to visit Mahé during their free
time, accommodation will only be available if not
in use by other researchers or Nature Seychelles
staff.
3. Cousin Island Special Reserve
Conservation of threatened
species.
Conservation and restoration
of natural habitats
Education and Awareness
programmes
Capacity Development
2.1 Nature Seychelles offices
2.1.1 Praslin - The Island Conservation Centre
This facility, close to Praslin airport, provides a
key opportunity to improve the management of
eco-tourism to Cousin, and to provide a location
for interpretation and education work, as well as
develop greater links with the local stakeholders
on Praslin. The facility was completed in 2006
and opened in 2007.
The Island Conservation Centre can be used
Cousin Island lies 2km off the coast of Praslin,
the second largest island in the Seychelles. It is
one of the world’s first whole island and sea
reserves. This granite island and surrounding sea
area was made a Nature Reserve when it
was bought in 1968 by the International Council
for Bird Preservation (now Birdlife International)
in order to protect the last tiny population of a
near extinct bird species, the Seychelles warbler
(Acrocephalus seychellensis).
The entire island, including the reef around to a
400m distance, was also declared a ‘Special
Reserve’ by the Seychelles Government in 1975.
The island is now managed by Nature Seychelles,
a local non-governmental organisation (NGO).
The head office is based on Mahé, the main island
in Seychelles.
3.1 International Recognition
Cousin has attracted international attention in
several fields including science, protected area
management and ecotourism. In the field of
science many articles have been published on
research carried out on the island in some of the
leading scientific journals of the world, including
Science and Nature. In 2001, an internationally
registered field station was opened for the
purpose of lodging students and researchers. As
a protected area it has been used as a model in
several countries including La Reunion and
Tanzania. Case studies of Cousin have been
published by international organizations such as
the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
In 2002, it was the first reserve in Africa to be
chosen to become part of the International
Biodiversity Observation Year (IBOY). In 2003, it
was the only site in Seychelles to be chosen by
the United Nations Environment Program
(UNEP) in its Management Effectiveness study
project of Marine Protected Areas. Cousin is a
Demonstration Site of the International Coral
Reef Action Network (ICRAN).
In 2003, Cousin received the British Airways
‘Tourism for Tomorrow - Highly Commended’
Award for the outstanding work carried out on
the island in the field of responsible tourism. In
2004, it won the prestigious Conde Nast
Traveller Ecotourism Award. Cousin has been
the subject of several articles and case studies
focusing on eco-tourism.
3.2 Species and Habitats
Despite its small size, Cousin boasts a diversity
and abundance of species and habitats. The
plateau area has been transformed from a
monoculture of coconuts into what is possibly
the best-restored forest on a granitic island. This
has taken some 30 years. This forest is
dominated by mapou (Pisonia grandis), Indian
mulberry (Morinda citrifolia) and bwa sousouri
(Ochrosia oppositifolia). There are wetlands where
fresh water attracts dragonflies, moorhens,
caecilians and the Seychelles terrapin; the hill
is an ideal nesting sites for large populations
of shearwaters, tropicbirds and bridled
terns; on the seashore several species of
crabs, land crabs and shorebirds abound.
Other nesting seabirds include White terns,
Lesser noddy and the Brown noddy . The
coastal vegetation comprises species such as
vouloutye (Scaevola sericea), patatran
(Ipomoea pes-caprae) and bwa matlo
(Suriana maritima) that help in coastal
protection as well as providing habitats. Five
of Seychelles eleven endemic land birds are
found on Cousin Island. In addition to the
aforementioned Seychelles warbler, they
include the Seychelles magpie robin
(Copsychus seychellarum), Seychelles sunbird
(Nectarinia dussumieri), Seychelles fody
(Foudia seychellarum), and Seychelles blue
pigeon (Alectroenas pulcherrima).
that only Cousin is not poached to any
substantive degree. The success of Cousin in
reducing poaching is due in part to its small size,
but also to the local management’s unique
relationship with local communities and fishers,
and both direct and indirect economic benefits
to the local economy through eco-tourism.
3.3 Turtles
The largest population of hawksbill turtle
(Erechmotelys imbricata) remaining in the
Western Indian Ocean occurs in Seychelles,
where an estimated 1,230-1,740 females nested
annually in the early 1980s. Since then, however,
populations have declined due to widespread
harvesting of nesting females during the 30 years
prior to 1994, when a total legal ban on turtle
harvest was implemented.
The Cousin MPA includes a 400 m exclusion
zone from the shore. Studies have shown that
the reefs in the Cousin Reserve contain 60%
more of the commonly fished species than any
other marine reserve in the granitic islands of
Seychelles. Fish such as groupers, emperors and
snappers, which are the target of Seychellois
fishermen, are more abundant in numbers as well
as species around Cousin Island. The Bumphead
parrotfish (Bolpometopon muricatum), which has
been exterminated in many parts of the world, is
still found in large groups in the Cousin reef
refuge.
3.5 Coral bleaching
An exception to the downward trend is the
population at Cousin Island. Turtle monitoring
has been in operation on Cousin since 1972. It
has therefore the longest running monitoring
program for hawksbill turtles in the world. Over
200 hawksbill turtles nest annually on Cousin
Island, usually between late September and
March. Numbers have increased over the last 20
years against a backdrop of historical population
decline in Seychelles.
3.4 Marine conservation
A recent study into the effectiveness of Marine
Protected Areas (MPAs) in Seychelles has shown
The 1998 El Nino event resulted in up to 90%
mortality of coral across the Seychelles. Slow
but continuous reduction of structural
complexity due to bioerosion of dead coral is
evident on Cousin. In addition, algal coverage is
increasing as a result of widespread coral
mortality. However, surveys over the past seven
years have shown that the Reserve has
maintained a rich fish community, despite the
incomplete coral cover and the damage sustained
to the complex reef structure.
4. The Volunteer Programme
The conservation of biodiversity on Cousin
Island Special Reserve and its surrounding waters
is of global importance. With limited resources
and technical skills, education opportunities and
international experience available, the task is a
difficult one. It is not ideas that are lacking, it is
hands-on resources and manpower, and practical
means of turning these ideas into management
tools. Worldwide there are hundreds of islands,
reserves, national parks and conservation
programmes tackling similar issues.
personal skills and valuable experiences that will
be highly transferable to other conservation and
protected area work.
In order to tap this rich vein of knowledge and
willing hands-on help, with limited budget and
resources available, Nature Seychelles has
created a volunteer programme. This
programme can attract motivated, enthusiastic
volunteers with a range of skills and experience
and Cousin can benefit from their experience,
ideas and an extra pair of hands for day-to-day
island operations and protection of biodiversity.
Volunteers will assist Cousin during their stay by
working side-by-side with the island staff on a
range of activities, both routine and out of the
ordinary. Volunteers will in turn gain a range of
The duties of volunteers will depend largely on
the time of year that you come to the island.
Please take into consideration that when
volunteering on Cousin Island, you will be getting
involved with many different types of biodiversity
management, some of which may occur during
the evening and at weekends. Where this is the
case, it will be limited and rest days will be
rostered to allow a balance between work and
leisure time, though you should expect to work
a 5-6 day week.
We offer a uniquely Seychellois island experience
and a great challenge – to help us turn Cousin
Island Special Reserve into the best-managed
island protected area.
4.1 Conservation work
4.2 Biodiversity calendar
The scientific year can be roughly broken up as follows:
Seabirds
White Tailed Tropic Bird Breeding success
White Tern Breeding success
Lesser Noddy
Seabird Census
Bridled Tern Census
Year round
Year round
May – November
July
February – November
Terrestrial wildlife
Seychelles Magpie Robin
Landbirds
Seychelles warbler
Skinks
Tortoise census/tagging
Invertebrate sampling
Year round
May
Research team only
April
Year round
Year round
Marine/Coastal
Beach Profiling
Coral Reef monitoring
Turtles
Monthly
April and October*
September – March
Vegetation
Vegetation diversification
Year round
Invasive Vegetation Surveys
Pisonia/Seabirds monitoring
March and November
Year round
Other
Maintain grid marker system
Beach clean-ups
Data entry
Year round
Year round
Year round
* For one week dependent on sea conditions
the Island Conservation Officer or Deputy
Chief Warden who will assign tasks.
4.3 Outline of typical daily duties
Whilst on Cousin you are ultimately
responsible to the Chief Warden, however
you will be more directly supervised and
managed by the Island Conservation Officer
and Deputy Chief Warden.
Morning start times will depend on the nature
of the work that you are doing, so be
prepared for early starts if necessary.
Turtle season (September – March)
During the turtle nesting season there will be
a full-time team leader and three volunteering
periods: September-November, NovemberJanuary, and January-March. During each of
these periods a team of 2-3 volunteers will
work with the leader to carry out monitoring
work. The team leader is responsible for
planning the work of the team, managing the
volunteers and working with island staff and
the Nature Seychelles Science Officer to
ensure the smooth running of the monitoring
programme. Patrols can start as early as 0600
and finish at 1730, though you will work
according to a roster so there is adequate
rest time during the day and week.
The days are full and the work can be tiring as
it is most often carried out in the sun,
however, the work is extremely rewarding
and will leave you with memories that will last
a lifetime.
During periods of low nesting activity at the
start and end of the season, you will also be
getting involved with other island management
and conservation work as directed by the
Island Conservation Officer and Chief
Warden (see below).
Other species monitoring and conservation
(Year round)
Work usually commences at approximately
0800 although this is dependent on trips to
Praslin and duties assigned. During this time
you are under the guidance and supervision of
Typical morning duties include:
Prior to visitor/tourist arrival:
• Visitor shelter & facilities cleaning and
upkeep
• Boat cleaning
During arrival or visitors/tourists:
• Assist with boat pushing and landing of
tourists
• Guide tourists to visitor shelter
• Provide general information on visitor
arrival
Visitor management:
• Management of tourists while at shelter
• Assist in guiding of visitors in an informed
manner (after suitable training)
• Other tasks as assigned
Afternoon duties are under the guidance and
supervision of the Island Conservation Officer
who will assign afternoon tasks as per a
weekly work schedule primarily to assist with
conservation work through monitoring or
general conservation duties.
Typical Afternoon Duties include:
• Assist with seabird census
• Assist in the weekly monitoring of
Seychelles Magpie-robin and related duties
• Undertake eradication of invasive species
and planting natives
• Assist visiting scientists, wardens and
students as required
• Any other relevant conservation work as
required according to the seasonal
biodiversity plan
Note: In cases where Volunteers are required
by the Chief Warden for other duties in the
afternoons he will provide, in advance, specific
instructions and a time for this work so as not
to interfere with conservation duties
described above. These would include
collection and removal of beach debris and
rubbish, and assistance with maintenance and
cleaning of the Special Reserve infrastructure
such as boats, trails and the island grid system.
4.4 Physical Requirements:
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Be physically fit and used to outdoor work.
Must be accustomed to tropical weather
and hot conditions.
Must be able to travel short distances in
small boats.
Must possess ability to work as a team on a
small, isolated island.
Must have a flexible personality and ability
to deal with a different culture.
For volunteers wishing to conduct Coral
Reef Monitoring, we ask that individuals are
trained to PADI Advanced Open Water
level or equivalent
The staff includes the Chief Warden, the
Assistant Chief Warden, five wardens and a
Conservation Officer who all live on the
island. There are 7 staff houses, a volunteer
house and a modest field station on Cousin.
These are scattered around the perimeter of
the island. A trail system connects the houses
and the two boat shelters.
5. Living on Cousin Island
Volunteers accommodation will be in the
volunteer house, or in the field station. The
volunteer house has three shared bedrooms,
a large living room, kitchen, storeroom,
verandah, cold shower, wash basin and
outdoor toilet.
5.1 What to expect
Living on Cousin Island is unique. It is difficult
to describe and harder to prepare for.
Everyone’s experience will be different and
what some volunteers love others will hate.
One of the hardest things to manage is your
expectations. Cousin Island is not the
Seychelles of the tourism brochures. Life
here is very basic. Accommodation is simple;
services on the island are non-existent and
essentials such as running water. Electricity
and refrigeration are not always available.
Think camping, if you want to imagine what it
will be like.
Cousin Island is a nature reserve and there
are no local residents. A team of Seychellois
wardens is based permanently on the island.
All researchers share the field station. It has
three bedrooms, a large living room/work
area, kitchen, pantry, storeroom, verandah,
cold shower, washbasin, and outdoor toilet.
The Seychelles uses the British-type three pin
plugs, so bring adapters if necessary.
Electricity is provided by a combination of
solar panels and a back-up generator. The
Seychelles uses the British-type tri squarepronged plugs, so bring adapters if necessary.
A small work lamp might be useful as lighting
can be dim. Water is pumped from a well at
the centre of the island and pumped to all
houses for washing. Drinking water is brought
by boat from Praslin. There are sometimes
water-shortages on the island and pumping
requires fuel, so please restrict your use of
water at all times.
If you have engaged in overseas payable
volunteering before, you will find that life on
Cousin as a volunteer is different as the
structure of island life encourages a far
greater deal of autonomy than you may have
found before. There is a good team spirit and
help will always be available from the island
staff should you need it, however everyone is
expected to be able to look after themselves
in the first instance.
5.2 Weather
There are two main seasons in the Seychelles:
hot and humid, and wet and humid. The
turtle monitoring season begins in September
towards the end of the hot and humid season.
Temperatures on the island are typically 3032C. There is less rain, but water supply can
sometimes be a problem. From DecemberMarch is the wetter season when there is
more rain on Cousin. Whichever season you
come you can expect the weather to make
you feel sticky and lethargic.
5.5 Cooking and cleaning
Volunteers are expected to cook for
themselves and do their own washing.
Washing is done by hand. Cleaning of the
quarters is essential for communal living;
brooms and mops are available from the Chief
Warden.
5.6 Transport
Access to and from the island is by open boat
that lands on the beach. This is a very tricky
operation that must be accomplished by
trained staff only at specific landing sites
according to the monsoon season and beach
profiles. The boat generally goes to Praslin
(2kms away) several times a week for
shopping, supplies and mail.
5.3 Clothing and Footwear
You will need to bring adequate clothing for
your stay as the work and handwashing can be
hard on clothes, though for day to day wear,
light items are best. Once your feet are
hardened, most of the trails are fine to walk
barefoot. Boots or enclosed shoes are
required for working on the hilltop or for any
heavy maintenance work. Aqua-shoes are
recommended for any shore or water work.
5.4 Food
Most foodstuffs are imported to Seychelles
and so is a similar price or more expensive to
Europe. Supplies are unpredictable and variety
is limited. Due to irregular shipments, some
items normally available might be temporarily
missing in shops. A few basics like rice, flour,
garlic, ginger and onions are subsidised,
making them relatively cheap.
The choice of vegetables in limited and fish
may not always be available. Come prepared
with a few basic recipes for simple cooking
with one or two pans. If there is food you
particularly enjoy eating then best to bring
supplies with you.
Travel between Mahé and Praslin is easy, but
expensive. Air Seychelles operates several
flights per day. The Praslin airport is just
opposite Cousin Island and you can walk from
the airport to the beach to be picked up by
the Cousin boat.
A cheaper option to Mahé is the catamaran
(Cat Cocos) which operates twice daily from
Baie St. Anne, but which requires a bus ride
or (expensive) taxi to and from Grande Anse
to meet the Cousin boat. All volunteers
staying more than three months will have a
GOP (Gainful Occupation Permit) that
enables volunteers to get resident rate prices
for ferries, internal flights and
accommodation.
5.7 Shopping and supplies
Grocery shopping can be done at Grand
Anse, Praslin, where the boat goes several
times per week. The shops are small but
carry most basic supplies (rice, eggs, oatmeal,
milk powder, tins, fruit, vegetables etc.) A
wider – but still limited – supply of foods is
available on Mahé. Some foods are difficult or
very expensive to buy anywhere in Seychelles.
You should factor in a shopping trip to Praslin
once each week, generally on a Friday
afternoon.
5.8 Protection from moisture and animals
Humidity is around 80% all year and salt spray
invades everything on Cousin. Protection of
electronic equipment, cameras and computers
is essential. Bring sturdy, sealable containers
such as rubber dry-bags or plastic containers
plus a good supply of silica-gel or similar dehydrating agent. Valuable books are best kept
in plastic bags. There are no closed cupboards
for clothes, books or equipment. Laptops are
not recommended for volunteers as salt spray
and island life can be very tough on
electronics, although many researchers have
not reported any problems. Bring one at your
own risk.
The prolific biodiversity, largely skinks and
birds, steal any uncovered food in the kitchen
and can rip open plastic bags and packaging.
Ants appear in minutes and can carry away a
sandwich just as quickly. They are especially
attracted to sweet foods. Crabs and hermit
crabs will clean up any scraps, anywhere,
including bedrooms. A good supply of
resealable plastic ‘zip-loc’ bags are
recommended, as well “Tupperware” type
containers for small items of food and
equipment.
5.9 Mosquitoes
Cousin is notorious for mosquitoes, especially
after heavy rainfall, but the use of pesticides
or insecticides is banned. Mosquito densities
are variable between seasons, but a mosquito
net is essential, as is repellent that can be
applied to your skin. They are worse from
evening through nightfall, so early to bed, and
early to rise is a good policy. The mosquitoes
are persistent and will bite you anywhere and
everywhere.
Fortunately, the bites are initially itchy but
tend to fade away after a few minutes. There
is no malaria carried by Cousin’s mosquitoes.
However, Dengue fever and another similar
fever called Chikungunya is carried by
mosquitoes in Seychelles. At certain times of
the year, on certain beaches of Mahé and
Praslin, sand flies can cause highly irritating
bites that swell up and itch furiously after
about twenty-four hours, and produce angry,
red carbuncles that last for up to two weeks.
These are not found on Cousin, but given the
delayed bite reaction, they may come up once
Cultural adaptation
Life on Cousin is very different to life in Europe or even elsewhere in the Seychelles.
Come prepared for a lower standard of living typical of a less-developed country. Goods
are less readily available, more expensive and less reliable. People are different and don’t
always behave in the way you might expect.
Life on the island is basic and adapting to Seychellois culture will take time. Be
resourceful and be prepared for isolation. Bring an open mind, be ready to learn,
be prepared to adapt, don’t be naïve, have a sense of humour and expect the
unexpected. Be prepared for simple entertainment and expect to give rather
than take and you should have a great time.
As well as the turtle team leader there is also a female volunteer officer on hand
at the Nature Seychelles office on Praslin Island Conservation Centre to help
volunteers with any issues relating to cultural adaptation.
volunteers who have visited Praslin beached
have returned to the island and will need to
be treated with mild anti-histamine or
medication as required.
5.10 Language
The official languages of Seychelles are English,
French and Creole. Everyone speaks Creole
and most people speak English fluently, with
good French. On Cousin, the lingua-franca is
Creole, however all staff are required to work
in both English and French. Volunteers are
expected to communicate well in English. Off
duty you can expect the staff to speak Creole,
which can sometimes seem isolating for
volunteers, though the staff are friendly and
will be only to be pleased to help you learn a
few Creole phrases.
5.11 Medical issues
Seychelles is relatively safe in comparison with
other regional countries. There is no cyclone
season, and there are few, if any, serious
ailments prevalent in the country. For more
information on current health concerns,
please consult the UK foreign office website
www.fco.gov.uk and look for their ‘travel
advice by country’ for specific listing for
Seychelles. Also refer to www.dh.gov.uk for
any current health advice. Another site useful
site is www.africaguide.com.
Before you come to Seychelles check that you
are up to date with all the required
vaccinations. This can easily be done by a visit
to your local GP in your hoe country. Do
this in good time before the start of your
volunteering, as you may need vaccinations
over a period of weeks.
You should obtain personal and travel
insurance. A limited supply of medicines is
available in the pharmacies on Mahé and
Praslin. There is a main hospital on Mahé, and
also one on Praslin, but most doctors and
dentists are on Mahé.
Bring your own supply of medicines, especially
prescriptions, and first aid supplies, including
vitamins and other supplements. There are
first aid kits located on the island, though it is
highly recommended to travel with your own
basic first aid kit (see packing list). The Chief
Warden or his nominee will point out the
locations of the island first aid supplies to you
upon arrival.
5.12 Health and Safety
The safety procedures for the boat are
particularly important and must be learned
upon arrival. At all times when dealing with
the boat a life jacket is recommended. It is
recommended to wear aqua-shoes or other
soled sandals whilst wading or pushing boats
up and down the beach, and initially whilst
walking the trails (until your feet harden).
There are many sharp corals that can easily
cut your feet. Wear enclosed footwear whilst
carrying materials, working on the hill area, or
handling heavy items.
To avoid sunburn and sunstroke wear strong
sunscreen and re-apply regularly, especially to
the face, neck, feet and calves. Good UVA &
UVB protection sunglasses are essential, with
spare pairs as they easily break or can fall off
into the sea. A brimmed sunhat is also
essential. A portable water bottle or aquapak
style bladder system is recommended, and
should be well maintained and filled for tours
or for monitoring work around the island.
Swimming and snorkelling is generally safe and
rewarding around Cousin, but there are a
number of hazards. Always use fins and soled
aqua shoes or diving boots. Likely encounters
are with sharp corals and rocks, and strong
tides or abnormal currents. Do not swim or
snorkel during rough weather, or as advised
by the Chief Warden. Always advise someone
where you are going, avoid swimming alone
and never swim after consuming alcohol.
Other ‘nasties’ include sea urchins of various
species, certain stinging fish such as stonefish
and scorpion fish, and several fish species have
a nasty sting or bite if handled. Reef sharks
and nurse sharks are encountered off the
granite ‘Roche canon’ reef, but they are
harmless and will avoid contact. Sensible
precautions should be taken such as not
swimming after dusk or very early morning as
this is when larger pelagic species frequent
local waters.
On land, the greatest danger is from falling or
twisting ankles in a bird burrow. Some birds
can give a nasty peck. Be extremely careful
using stepladders.
Large centipedes can give a very painful
bite also, but they are rare on Cousin.
The leaves of one of the plants found on
the hill, Euphorbia pyrifolia irritate the skin
on contact. You will soon learn to
identify it!
What is provided in Seychelles and on Cousin Island
Taxi Pickup to and from the airport upon arrival and for departure to
and from Seychelles (at your cost)
• Logistical support in obtaining relevant permits and visas
• Once weekly transport to and from Praslin and Cousin (dependent on
boat schedule and weather conditions)
• Uniform T-shirt
• Basic accommodation on Mahé at the Centre for Environment and
Education, whilst in transit to and from Cousin
• Shared room in the field station or volunteer accommodation on Cousin,
which includes:
• Bed, mattress and pillow
• Counter-top gas cooker (two burner), but no oven
• Pots and pans, crockery and cutlery
• Gas for cooking
• Drinking water
• A shared freezer
• Basic furniture
Toilet paper
What you are expected to provide for yourself
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Return Air-ticket
Medical and Travel Insurance
Payment for GOP (if required)
Payment for local airfare
Funds for your own living expenses, leisure, excursions and for
emergencies and extras
Mosquito net
Towels, sheets, and soaps (available in Seychelles)
Food and groceries (such as dishwashing materials which are available
locally)
All equipment, batteries, stationary and other leisure and personal
supplies as listed in the suggested packing list
6. Tours and tourists
Cousin island has become one of the
Seychelles most visited eco-tourism
destinations, providing a unique experience
due to the combination of vast numbers of
birds in close proximity, an unspoilt tropical
island and forest, and the management of the
operations through the island wardens.
Tourists come to the island during scheduled
visiting hours Monday to Friday mornings.
Schools, film crews, researchers and other
special groups come occasionally by special
permission.
Access is by sea. The reserve’s Special
Reserve status means that the usual public
domain access to any beach below the highwater mark does not apply. Private boats,
local tourist operators, charter boats, yachts
and cruise ships bring visiting parties. Landing
on the island is only permitted via the reserve
boat and only on open days. Although there is
little seasonal variation in visitor numbers,
landing on the beach in the months of
December and January is difficult or
sometimes impossible. Cousin wardens guide
all tourists.
The average number of visitors varies on
different days of the week. The reserve
usually receives about 10,000 visitors annually.
Alternative opening times and arrangements
are considered to cater for cruise ships and
educational tours. The island currently opens
on a five-day opening schedule MondaysFridays, for morning tours only. The
afternoons are reserved for Reserve work.
The island is occasionally closed due to bad
weather or Public Holidays. The Chief
Warden has the authority to close the island if
he/she decides there is a risk to health and
safety of either humans or biodiversity.
7. Administration
7.1 Permits for short-term volunteers (less
than 3 months)
Nature Seychelles will arrange for all relevant
permits. Visitors from nearly all countries are
allowed a free tourist visa that is valid for
three months.
7.2 Permits for long-stay volunteers (more
than 3 months)
Any volunteer staying longer than 3 months
will need to apply for a Gainful Occupation
Permit (GOP). If this is the case we will let
you know and guide you through the process.
7.3 Mailing address
The most convenient mailing address is: C/o
Island Conservation Centre, Amitie, Praslin,
Seychelles. The Cousin Wardens collect the
mail at the Grand Anse 3 or 4 times per week,
and you can buy stamps and send parcels from
the post office at Grand Anse during office
hours on scheduled trips to Praslin for
supplies.
7.4 Telephone and email
There is a Nature Seychelles mobile telephone,
kept by the Chief Warden, which is for use by
all island staff for work-related calls.
Arrangements to use the island’s computer
must be made with the Chief Warden, and
used sparingly. There is no fax machine or
copier on the island. It is recommended that
volunteers bring their own mobile telephone
and obtain an inexpensive pre-paid SIM card
here in Seychelles. This would provide you
with a number and credit for both local and
international calls.
For weekend trips to Mahé, Praslin or other
islands, or for other major expenses, costs can
generally be paid in Rupees though some
hotels and tour operators may advertise in
Euros. Please note however, some hotels and
outlets will only accept foreign exchange.
For Internet banking be reminded that
connection speeds are slow, and that regular
access to the Internet cannot be guaranteed.
Please arrange your finances before you arrive
in Seychelles, or sort them out on Mahé
before travelling to Cousin.
7.6 Reports needed from volunteers
There are two Internet cafés in Grand Anse
that can be used during scheduled trips to
Praslin. They are not cheap (relatively), and
connection is slow. Often turn around for the
staff boat is rapid, so pre-arrangements for
longer web communication beyond short
emailing should be made (such as Friday
afternoon, or weekend trips).
If you choose to bring your own laptop, you
may purchase a USB Internet dongle from
either Cable & Wireless or Airtel in Grand
Anse for around SR500. Whilst this allows
much more convenience for Internet use, the
connection can sometimes be poor and high
volume data transfer can be expensive. Check
out their websites for more details.
7.5 Banking
There are branches of three banks at Grand
Anse. A cash machine is available at Barclays
Bank and at MCB. Cash can be obtained from
these machines using Visa and some foreign
bank cards. At the airport there is also an
ATM that is known to accept a wide-range of
cards and symbols.
At the end of your term please provide a short
report (not more than a double sided A4) as
follows:
• Name
• Dates of term on Cousin
• Short description of what you did
• What new things did you learn?
• What did you like about the
experience?
• What did you not like about the
experience?
• Can you offer any advice to potential
Cousin island volunteers?
• Did the experience match your
expectations?
• Please provide any suggestions for
changes / additions to the volunteer
manual
• Was enough explained to you prior to
arriving on Cousin? What else would
you have liked to know?
• Please add any other constructive
comments or suggestions for
improvement
8. Suggested packing list
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Passport, return ticket and relevant documents (copies of passport and other
documents)
Travel/health insurance card (or details)
Adequate light clothing, including long-sleeved shirt and trousers (for cooler
evenings, and to ward off mosquitoes)
Light raincoat or anorak
Wide-brimmed sunhat
Lots of sunblock
Sunglasses (spare pairs recommended)
Camera (film is available, but expensive in Seychelles)
Radio or MP3 player / Music
Novels and leisure reading
Notebook and personal stationary
Penknife (with tin opener)
Torch or small bedside lamp
Head-torch
Batteries (rechargeable)
Waterproof sandals (Aqua-shoes or similar could also be considered_
Light boots / closed shoes
Spare reading glasses / contact lenses (if used)
Medium – large rubber dry-bag (for keeping belongings dry in the island boat
Mosquito net
Bed linen (sheets and pillowcase) and towel
Insect repellent (good supply)
Vitamins (particularly Vitamin C)
Versatile, yet cheap mobile phone (to add a local SIM card)
Aqua-pak to keep phone, money and other items waterproof
Zip-lok bags and Tupperware type boxes for food items
Silica gel sachets for bags and containers
Snorkelling equipment (including fins)
Personal medication (difficult and expensive to obtain locally)
Travel games / cards
Any special favourite food items
Water bottle with minimum 1 litre capacity – rucksacks with internal style
bladders such as Camelbak or Platypus are useful, but not essential
USB pen drive or high capacity SD card for photos
Basic first aid kit including plasters, wound dressings, bandages, antiseptic cream,
antihistamine cream/tablets, mild painkillers (e.g. Paracetamol/Ibuprofen/Tylenol,
lip balm, anti-diarrhoea tablets, rehydration sachets, and anti-fungal
cream/powder
If in doubt – please ask!
9. Island code of conduct
Nature Seychelles takes pride in warmly
welcoming you as a Volunteer to the Cousin
Island Special Reserve. We are sure you will
have a most fulfilling and productive work
experience in the Reserve. Nature Seychelles
has drawn up a list of internal rules and
regulations to help both you and the
management maximise your time and
experience exchange and learning whilst you
are working here.
A. Carry personal health and liability insurance. Nature Seychelles is not liable or responsible
for any loss or injury whilst in the Reserve;
B. Liaise with Nature Seychelles administrative staff regarding visa and permit arrangements;
C. Comply with written and verbal instructions given by the Chief Warden, Deputy Chief
Warden, Island Conservation Officer or Nature Seychelles senior staff;
D. Maintain the accommodation in a clean and respectable way at all times. Clean your room
and kitchen on a regular basis and keep your living and work area neat and tidy. Store all
equipment in a secure manner;
E. Dispose of your rubbish in the appropriate manner as requested by the Reserve Chief
Warden;
F. Include and engage island staff wherever possible in your daily activities;
G. Refrain from excessive use of alcohol;
H. Do not bring or engage in the use of narcotics on Cousin Island Special Reserve
I.
Do not use island or office telephones without prior permission. Do not make international
calls;
J.
Do not interact with the media without prior consultation with the reserve Chief Warden
or senior Nature Seychelles staff;
K. Do not make unauthorised use of houses and equipment, including boats and computers;
L. Do not take/remove/transfer Nature Seychelles property without authorisation;
M. Do not take, harm and sell any endangered biodiversity;
N. Do not smoke in the reserve;
O. Do not light fires in the reserve;
P. Please be circumspect and professional in your dealings with others.
Q. Do not take insecticide to the island
R. Do not become involved in intimate relationships on the island
Further information!
Contact Nature Seychelles through email at
[email protected]
(www.natureseychelles.org)
Nature Seychelles
Centre for Environnent & Education
PO Box 1310, Roche Caiman
Mahé, Republic of Seychelles
Tel: (+248) 601100 / 601101
Fax: (+248) 601102
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.natureseychelles.org