In celebration of IOSEA Year Year of the Turtle 2006, C3 and Mohéli Marine Park (PMM) staff initiated a programme to inform students of the life history and conservation issues of Mohéli’s sea turtles and encourage their involvement in conservation practices. The programme took place in June and July at schools in five Mohéli villages; Hamba, Hamavouna, Hoani, Ndrondroni, and Nioumachoua.

The programme included a presentation about turtles and drawing contest. Although students see turtles almost nightly on the beaches at this time of year, most children know little about them.

A total of 313 students attended the five presentations, 151 girls and 162 boys between the ages of seven and 23. C3 staff in collaboration with PMM ecoguards Hamada Jssoufi and Cheikh Moussa Iboura presented the programmes with the assistance of community volunteers from each village.

The ecoguards presented information on basic turtle ecology, life history, threats, and conservation practices in which the students can participate. The students were encouraged to include a conservation message with their drawings. Selected drawings will be used to create a poster advocating turtle conservation, which will bedisplayed around Mohéli.

One winner from each of the five villages was selected by PMM Director Kamardine Boinali. The prize was to spend a night on the beaches of Itsamia, one of the most important turtle nesting sites in the region. The winners were accompanied by ecoguard Cheikh Moussa Iboura, teacher Nema Madi Oloissi, and C3 intern, Sarah Freed. While they were there, the winners saw three turtles nesting on the beach. The students observed turtles preparing nests, laying eggs, and returning to the sea. Although familiar with sea turtles, this was the first time the students were able to observe the nesting activities up close.

The current practices of poaching nesting females and eating turtle eggs threaten the sea turtle population of Moheli. C3 hopes that this programme will begin to foster a sense of ownership as well as raise local awareness of the danger that human activities pose to the future of sea turtles.

Source text and photos: 

Patricia Davis
Director
Community Centred Conservation (C3)
c-3.org.uk