The local community is already well aware of the nesting beaches and the work that MCSS has been doing on sea turtle monitoring. However, not many know the real facts about the sea turtles’ status locally and worldwide, and few understand the need for conservation of these species. Education and awareness activities are organised often though community activities and mostly through the organisation of activities with the different schoolchildren on Mahe, with the south and east zones being a priority. Moreover, the organisation participates in national events as opportunities to showcase our work towards sea turtle conservation. We also work in partnership with some hotels whose property borders with some of the nesting beaches.
Transportation facilitates the patrols. The nesting beaches are a very long walking distance, which affects time management and the ability to promptly attend to nesting turtles when alerted by locals.
Equipment to facilitate accurate data collection is also very important, to be able to show records of data. A highly accurate GPS hand-held spatial data collection tool allows the patrol team to collect data through the Cybertracker software and applications that we have designed in line with the data targeted for collection.
The youths are the future, and using the right approach in teaching them how to become advocators themselves is very beneficial. Sometimes the message becomes more realistic when children teach their parents themselves, and help to change their mind-set and views towards sea turtle protection.