What is the Conservation Boot Camp?

Based on Cousin Island Special Reserve, this innovative program provides you with an enviable in-the-field conservation experience. Participants help in monitoring of biodiversity and ecotourism.

You will get immersed in Cousin Island’s conservation work in quite a spectacular way. This place is unique and this is where the conservation boot camp happens! You will learn hands-on about conservation by contributing to the island’s conservation activities.

You and your team of 5 to 6 other conservation boot campers will also help to make Cousin Field Centre (where you will be staying) and the island run at its best. You will gain real-life skills of working in the environment in intense and sometimes not-so-easy conditions – boat pushes, monitoring, and censuses of wildlife, come heavy rain, intense heat or high humidity levels – sometimes accompanied by mosquitoes in the forest depending on the season (the mosquitoes here are only annoying but do not carry any diseases). You might have interaction with some endemic intruders in your building, this is cohabitation with the wildlife.

What will you be doing?

You will know Cousin like the back of your hand in no time by walking through virtually every inch of the island during turtle nesting season, while conducting landbird and seabird monitoring, other wildlife censuses, beach profiling and cleaning, and invasives removal among other activities. Tagging and ringing the wildlife will bring you closer to the island inhabitants. You will also take care of your place of living through different scheduled tasks. Aside from these tasks you will have the opportunity to interact with the local wardens and learn a little about Creole culture. The down time on Cousin is like no other place – pristine beaches to enjoy, unforgettable sunsets, the starriest nights unpolluted by artificial lights and other activities organised by the program coordinator.

What will you get out of the program?

• A first hand insight into the management of a multiple award winning nature reserve
•  One-on-one sessions with Nature Seychelles’ CEO, a world renowned environmentalist
•  An enviable participation in an exclusive program that is sure to boost your conservation career
•  Practical skills in scientific field methodology
•  Intimate and constant contact with land and seabirds as well as marine and terrestrial wildlife
•  Experience of different ecosystems : coastal beach, wetlands, native forest, rocky hills and marine environment
•  Opportunity to learn and enjoy living in basic conditions and step away the materialistic world for a while
•  Exchange with international students, experienced conservation staff, and global researchers frequenting the island regulary
•  A certificate of participation (Nature Seychelles is a certified private educational and training institute under the Education Act of Seychelles)
•  A much-coveted opportunity to work in a world class dream destination, you will get to work in one of Seychelles’ paradise Islands.

Cost: 1000 euros for a 4 week period. Please note that your booking is only confirmed once payment has been made. Once payment is made it is 50% refundable for cancellation before the 3 weeks preceding arrival and 0% refundable for cancellation beyond the 3 weeks preceding arrival.

Video

Conservation Careers Podcast with Nirmal Shah of Nature Seychelles

New offer for 2018/9

In 2018/9, Nature Seychelles is celebrating 20 years since the organisation was formed and 50 years of Cousin Island being a nature reserve protected by law. To celebrate our milestones, Nature Seychelles is in 2018/9 offering a 25% discount on the registration fees for the Conservation Boot Camp program to participants who are African citizens under the African Heritage package. Additionally, staff of other BirdLife International Partners outside of Africa will receive the same discount.