 Tim Sands and Adrian Skerrett, compilers and editors of the recently released book "Aride Island - Tread Lightly" have been interviewed by Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation. A short extract of the interview will be screened on local television in the coming days with the longer 20 minute full interview televised on 1 September. The interviewer was Pat Matyot, himself a trustee of ICS and one of more than 40 contributors to the book. The book is now on sale directly from ICS at Pointe Larue and available at a special price of SR350 until the end of July. It will then be available in local bookshops.
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 ICS Desroches Conservation Officer Joanna Bluemel has reported that search efforts on 28 June recorded 156 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters across all colony areas indicating an early return of the birds to their breeding sites compared to previous seasons.
 Conservation Officer Pep Nogues reports that on 24 June, ICS Alphonse teamed up with Islands Development Company, Alphonse Island Lodge and Seychelles People’s Defence Forces to clean up the beaches of Alphonse removing a total of 423 kg of marine debris in just 2 hours! This included 106kg of plastic bottles either PET or others, 39kg of footwear such as flip-flops and shoes, 32kg of waste glass and 246kg of miscellany, which included toothbrushes, cigarette butts, lighters, polystyrene foam, toys, car tyres, barrels and a large miscellany of man-made materials.
 The ICS Silhouette team has organised an educational day out on Silhouette for the Wildlife Club of Anse Royale, Mahé. This follows a display by ICS Silhouette during the 2016 Carnaval International de Victoria to promote awareness of the Sheath-tailed Bat.
Silhouette Island hosts one of the last populations of this Critically Endangered bat. It is one of the most endangered animals in the world with fewer than 100 believed to exist. It was probably common throughout the granitic islands in the past, but it has declined drastically and is now extinct on most islands. Silhouette hosts one of the last viable populations and one of the last chances to secure the survival of the species. An article by ICS Silhouette Ranger Benny Moncherry appeared in Seychelles Nation on 20 June and can be downloaded here.  From left to right, back row: Edwin Palmer, Jeanne Mortimer, Tim Sands, Alice Mascarenhas, Uzice Samedi, Sheila Lee, Rahim Hypolite, Julita Verlaque, Pierre-Andre Adam; front kneeling: Adrian Skerrett Tim Sands, visiting Seychelles for the launch of the book "Aride Island, tread lightly", joined members of the Aride Management Committee for a meeting held at the Island Conservation Centre, Mahe. As a trustee of Wildlife Trusts of UK, Tim served on the committee for many years until responsibility was passed to ICS in 2004. He remains an Honorary Member of ICS.
 Island Conservation Society has released a new book to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the protection of Aride Island as a Special Reserve. The book entitled “Aride Island – Tread Lightly” was launched at the British High Commission on Thursday 16th June 2016 at the same time as the celebration of the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.
The book is compiled and edited by Tim Sands and Adrian Skerrett, with contributions from many writers, artists and photographers including locally Pierre-Andre Adam, Katie Beaver, Melinda Curran, Lindsay Chong Seng, Pat Matyot, Juan Michel, Jeanne Mortimer, Uzice Samedi and Gerard Rocamora. It contains a message from President James Michel and a Foreword by James Cadbury, whose father Christopher provided the funds to purchase Aride in 1973 on behalf of Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts in UK. |
