Alphonse
Conservation OfficerGail FordhamGail is responsible for management of the Alphonse Group Protected Areas, above and below water. She leads the Conservation Centre team, implements monitoring of endangered species, coordinates research projects and provides environmental advice to partners. Prior to this, she was based in the UK where she graduated with a Distinction from a Conservation Biology MRes, building upon her Geography BSc. Subsequently, she secured the post of Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Sussex, leading a GIS project investigating primate speciation in the Neotropics. Committed to working in the defence of nature, Gail started out in 2014 volunteering with various NGOs in granitic Seychelles for extended periods; including on Cousin Island, and Aride Island with ICS, where she developed essential field techniques and data skills; as well as completed Advanced Open Water SCUBA training. Gail enjoys peaceful moments on St. Francois atoll, counting waders and terns. |
Assistant Conservation Officer
George Curd
George is from the UK and joined ICS at the start of 2019, he assists in all aspects of running the Alphonse Conservation Centre. After completing a BSc in Biology, he spent eight months with the RSPB on a Practical Conservation Volunteer Internship, gaining experience in varied habitat management and qualifications in chainsaw use and off-road driving. George went on to become a Greenspaces Officer with the Kent High Weald Partnership, responsible for implementing the management plans of two Woodland Nature Reserves, and leading a team of community volunteers. One of Georges interests is playing the bagpipes, but rather than bring this instrument to a small and quiet island, he’s instead been trying his hand at the ukulele. George’s favourite place is sitting on a moonlit beach, with the sound of a green turtle nesting behind him during evening patrols.
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Conservation Ranger
Chris Narty
Chris (also known as Topher) is Seychellois. He attended the Maritime Training Centre (MTC) on Mahé in 2000 to 2002. As part of his training he worked for 6 months on the IDC supply vessels visiting the outer islands of the Seychelles. Whilst at MTC he also completed his PADI Divemaster training, following which he went to work as a Divemaster on Alphonse Island for two years. He continued to gain experience of the waters surrounding the Seychelles by working as a dive guide on liveaboard vessels in the outer islands and as a kayaking guide around Praslin and La Digue. His love of the natural world has grown through these experiences and he is happy to be using his keen eye for wildlife and excellent knowledge of Seychelles flora and fauna in his role as Conservation Ranger with ICS Alphonse. Topher’s current interests include fisheries and sustainability. |
Aride
Island Manager
Wayne Pagel
Wayne is an experienced environmental engineer, and has spent close to 20 years working in various environmental and safety roles throughout the UK, Australia and Asia. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering and Post graduate Diploma in Earth Science. His earth sciences background has been employed for contaminated land assessments, site erosion and sediment control, mine site rehabilitation, waste management, as well as ground and surface water quality, treatment, and use. He first joined ICS in 2018 as a volunteer but was later employed as the Island Manager of Aride Island Nature Reserve. Wayne is very passionate about music and plays Spanish guitar, bass guitar and keyboards frequently and often. He plays all these instruments as part of local five-piece band on Praslin. His favorite place is exploring the beach environment and rocky shore coastline on Aride. Aside from his day to day management duties, he is also developing and testing a framework to understand the responses of beach sediment movements in relation to weather and climate changes. This ICS monitoring protocol hopes to provide a long-term platform to improve coastal resource and conservation management. |
Conservation Officer
Estella Snowden
Estella is responsible for management of terrestrial and marine conservation programs, supervision of ICS staff and volunteers, implementation of the conservation management plan, and data analysis and management. Estella holds a master’s degree in Biodiversity, Wildlife, and Ecosystem Health from the University of Edinburgh. She began her career in conservation working with the Maui Invasive Species Committee in Hawaii and spent three years teaching in Kyrgyzstan and China. Before coming to Seychelles, she lived in a remote field camp in Tanzania working as a Natural Resources Data Analyst with African People & Wildlife where she played a lead role in the transition to ArcGIS Online. In 2019, Estella co-authored a framework for community-based conservation published by National Geographic and African People & Wildlife. In her free time, Estella enjoys running, snorkeling, diving, and wildlife photography. She is passionate about marine wildlife and her favorite place is driving through the bush in search of gerenuks and bat-eared foxes.
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Conservation Ranger/Boat Driver
Ricky Adeline
Ricky has completed an apprenticeship course with the Seychelles Maritime Academy and was also trained as a Chef by the Seychelles Tourism Academy. As a Ranger, Ricky monitors the Seychelles Magpie Robin’s daily behavior and breeding habits. He is also responsible for monitoring breeding success for Brown and Lesser Noddy, invertebrate species, terrapins, and sea turtles. Before coming to Aride, Ricky worked with Dream Yacht Charter as a Deckhand and Technician and as Ranger on Cousin Island with Nature Seychelles. Ricky enjoys surfing, fishing, photography, and crafting. His favorite species is the Seychelles Magpie Robin due to their intelligence and personalities. He is also draw to the Cuckoo bird for their unique characteristics and appearance. |
Conservation Ranger
Francis Salomon
Francis first worked on Aride Island as a Ranger and Boat Driver in 2004 and returned in 2018. During his time away, Francis worked as a watch maker in Switzerland. He is a highly skilled mechanic, handy with tools, and an experienced boat driver. As a Ranger, Francis monitors breeding success for Fairy Tern, Seychelles Magpie Robin behavior, invertebrates, and sea turtles. As an experienced Boatman and mechanic, he takes the lead on regular engine maintenance and repairs. Francis also helps to repair infrastructure around the island and takes excellent care of the garden. Francis enjoys fishing, reading, and watching films in his time off. He is also an avid diver and snorkeler. His favorite place is Aride, which is why he has returned after his years spent away. |
Desroches
Conservation Ranger
Jean Claude Camille
Jean Claude is a born and bred Seychellois from Anse Aux Pins. He has had a range of jobs including chef, mason and painter. His interest in conservation, especially with turtles, sparked a career shift towards conservation in 2008. Initially he gained experience in conservation on D’Arros island where he began as a volunteer with Dr Jeanne A. Mortimer. He later joined ICS as a Conservation Ranger and has worked on Farquhar, Aride, Silhouette and now Desroches. Jean Claude is very hands on and a competent carpenter; this skill set is particuarly useful for reconstructing skeletons, and examples can be seen at the Conservation Centres on Desroches and Silhouette. His favourite island is Desroches, in his own words “the island has everything; there are tortoises, turtles, plants, fish, coral and seagrass”. His favourite animal is the Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas). |
Farquhar
Conservation Officer
Matthew Morgan
Matthew is responsible for the management of Farquhar Group Protected Areas, above and below water. He leads the Conservation Centre team, implements monitoring of endangered species, coordinates research projects and provides environmental advice to partners. He has a BSc in Marine and Freshwater Biology. Matthew first joined ICS in 2017 as the Conservation Officer on Desroches Island. Before moving to Seychelles, he use to work in Mauritius as a Conservation Biologist on two separate projects, namely the Pink Pigeon Project from 2014 to 2015, thereafter the Echo Parakeet Project from 2015-2017. He is interested in modern technology especially its applicability in biodiversity conservation as a useful tool to increase our knowledge of animals and their environments, ultimately improving conservation management and decision making. Working with ICS fulfils this interest as there are several projects at the forefront of technical design and innovation. His favourite place is the South island of Farquhar Atoll, this area has thousands of Red-footed Boobies nesting at eye level and feels very special to him. The marshes (barachois) fill with the tide and attract large shoals of fish, rays and juvenile sharks. |
Assistant Conservation Officer
Annabelle Cupidon
Annabelle is originally from Mauritius and first joined ICS in 2017 as a volunteer on Desroches Island. She is currently assisting in all aspects of running the Farquhar Atoll Conservation Centre. She has a BSc in Biology specialised in Minor Forensic Science and has 4 years’ experience of working as a Conservation Biologist on two separate projects, namely the Pink Pigeon Project from 2014 to 2015, followed by the Echo Parakeet Project from 2015-2017. Annabelle is interested in wildlife photography and she spends most of her spare time taking photos of the natural landscapes and life, above and below water. Due to the nature of her work, she is in close proximity to the various terrestrial and marine species, which enables her to capture interesting and unique characteristic of the species. Dive sites around Farquhar Atoll are some of her favourite places so far. She describes the diversity of coral and fish to be impressive and that she is so privileged to see that such places still exist, considering the unprecedented global effects of global warming and climate change on our planet.
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Silhouette
Assistant Conservation Officer
Said Harryba
Said graduated from the Seychelles Maritime Academy with an Advanced Certificate in Fisheries Science. He also obtained a Durrell Endangered Species Management certificate after completing a short online course at the University of Kent in 2019. Said joined ICS as a Conservation Ranger in 2016. As Assistant Conservation Officer on Silhouette Island. He is responsible for the implementation of the biodiversity monitoring programme and Silhouette conservation management plan as well as educating visitors and residents on environmental issues. He has an extensive knowledge of field work ranging from marine to terrestrial work. Amongst all the islands of Seychelles, Silhouette holds a special place in Said’s heart. He notes Silhouette is often referred as “A diamond in the rough” for its pristine forest and well protected biodiversity. This is where he grew up and spent most of his childhood days being outdoors and exploring different parts of the island. The love and care for the wilderness grew on him and had a large influence on his choice to pursue a career in conservation.
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Assistant Conservation OfficerDillys Pouponeau
Dillys is from Praslin. She currently holds a BSc degree, specialised in Tropical Biodiversity Conservation. She formerly worked at Constance Lemuria Resort as the Environment and Sustainability Manager. As a young environmental conservationist, Dillys has had the privilege of working on several islands in the Seychelles for numerous terrestrial and marine projects. She was also actively involved in several sustainability management and environmental education programs such as the Pristine Seychelles Campaign and the Seychelles’ Eco-Schools programme. Dillys has a deep interest in well-preserved bio diverse ecosystems, particularly the islands of Seychelles. She says each island has its own highlights and unique landscapes like nowhere else in the world, which she enjoys capturing in various dimensions. She has a keen interest in anything which is fun, artistic, creative, exploratory and adventurous as long as it is in the wild.
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