Preserving a plant paradise

A treasure trove of biodiversity under threat

Mauritius is a hotspot of biodiversity that is unique in the world: it is home to a record number of endemic species.
A record number, but one that is shrinking rapidly! This is primarily due to forestry, farming and the overexploitation of natural resources, but also to the spread of invasive species and urban development.

We have teamed up with two partners who have set themselves a major challenge: to restore the Mauritian plant heritage to its full splendour.

Protecting and reviving

How to restore the biodiversity of Mauritius to its proper extent? Through an ambitious program, of course!

The program, which began in 2016, has three focuses:

• The reintroduction of species that have disappeared to their native island.
• The saving of the Solitaire palm of Curepipe, the last representative of its species on the island!
• The revival of species that have disappeared using ancient seeds.

The Solitaire palm of Curepipe

Our partners in this project

Klorane Botanical Foundation has teamed up with the National Botanical Conservatory of Brest, the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) and the National Parks and Conservation Service (NPCS) to preserve the Mauritian botanical heritage.

Bringing people together with botany

Our work is based on a simple assumption: the more we are able to raise awareness of the importance of preserving biodiversity, the better we will be able to preserve it in the future..

We also know that it is easier to care about a topic when it directly concerns us, which is why it is important to ensure the effectiveness of local communication and involve the local people. Communication is therefore one of our focuses for this project.

Botany Day at the Résidence de France

The project's players met at the Résidence de France to protect the actions they had taken to protect the local plant heritage. As a strong symbol to commemorate the event, we planted an endangered local species in the Embassy's garden, Barleria observatrix.

A conference "The Richness and Uniqueness of the Mauritian Flora" brought together the President of the Republic of Mauritius, ambassadors and ministers, and local players and inhabitants.

A conference at the Institut français de Maurice

With our partners, we gave a conference, " The Extraordinary Mauritian Flora: reclaiming a unique heritage". This exciting event, held at the Institut Français de Maurice, was open to the general public. It illustrated the public's keen interest in botany, as it attracted over 120 people.

On the schedule were various important, instructive topics:

• the evolution of the Mauritian flora and the threats it faces,
• the reintroduction of threatened species propagated at the Brest Conservatory,
• how plant biotechnology is used to save species like the Solitaire palm of Curepipe.

"Herbarium on Stage" school workshops

Creating a herbarium of Mauritian plants is a wonderful way to learn about botany while developing awareness of the incredible richness of the local flora!

27 students from the École du Centre in Moka took part in practical workshops with the assistance of Klorane Botanical Foundation educational materials and Mauritian plants that had been dried by the NPCS.

And to complement this interactive half-day event, a botanical illustration class!

Partners on the subject