16/06/12 Academy by the Sea

Last Thursday Cap Ternay had some welcome visitors, a group of students enrolled in the MCSS Academy by the Sea summer camp.  They joined staff and volunteers on base camp for the day to participate in marine themed activities.

Academy by the Sea is a two-week summer camp open to 12/14 and 14/16 year old Seychellois students with an interest in the marine environment; they had to summit a written report or poster in order to be considered for a place in the academy, which is orgainised, by Marine Conservation Society Seychelles.

After a welcome chat, the morning was spent snorkelling in Baie Ternay with volunteers taking the students over the sea grass beds and onto the shallow coral reefs, pointing out interesting features and marine creatures.

After a lovely lunch the students had an introduction to mangroves, their role and importance within the marine environment and an introduction to specific survey techniques used in order to identify different species of mangrove.

We then headed to back beach to implement the survey techniques so the students could identify the mangroves we have here at Cap Ternay. 

Once the surveys were completed we had a treasure hunt.  In our survey groups we had to find particular leaves or roots from specific mangrove species, fish, crabs and birds to name but a few. It was a very competitive yet fun end to the day’s activities and thoroughly enjoyed by all the students and volunteers.

16/06/12 Academy by the Sea