Wednesday 31 December 2008
Tuesday 23 December 2008
Thursday 11 December 2008
Hi Children please find the answers below, Sally
Hi Alayna and EllaMay,
The island is very beautiful, it is the most amazing place I have ever been. The colours are fantastic, and the clear light really makes the whole place 3 dimensional. When we came back from the UK in October and walked on to the island it felt like someone was shinning a big spotlight on it, after very Britain to come here and was such a contrast. The island itself is very rugged and has lots of trees, when it rains at this time of year all the trees start to grow new leaves and so from the sea the island looks very green, with lots of different shades – lime, fresh new green, deep leathery bottle green, pale yellowy new green and lots and lots more. Then by contrast there is the beach and the sea, the beach is made up of silver sand so soft it feels like talcum powder between your toes and the sea is so blue it hurts your eyes – yes it certainly is beautiful.
Yep our buckets often get holes in, the bright sun and UV makes them very brittle.
Hi Danny and Byron
It really depend on the months as to how much rain we get, have a look at the graph below and you can see that our months of most rain are between November and March.
Comparison of the 2007 monthly rainfall figures from Aride with the averages for the previous 12 years.
Hi Gabby and Noy
Compared to the UK, it is very hot, we are very close to the Equator and at our hottest time in October, November it can be over 31˚C. Have a look at the table below which shows you the maximum and minimum temperatures, together with the total rainfall for last year.
Hi Emily and Bethany,
Aride Island is located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, have a look on a map and see which countries are next to us. Aride is in the small group of islands called the Seychelles, which on your map will probably look tiny in the idle of a very big ocean.
The island is very beautiful, it is the most amazing place I have ever been. The colours are fantastic, and the clear light really makes the whole place 3 dimensional. When we came back from the UK in October and walked on to the island it felt like someone was shinning a big spotlight on it, after very Britain to come here and was such a contrast. The island itself is very rugged and has lots of trees, when it rains at this time of year all the trees start to grow new leaves and so from the sea the island looks very green, with lots of different shades – lime, fresh new green, deep leathery bottle green, pale yellowy new green and lots and lots more. Then by contrast there is the beach and the sea, the beach is made up of silver sand so soft it feels like talcum powder between your toes and the sea is so blue it hurts your eyes – yes it certainly is beautiful.
Yep our buckets often get holes in, the bright sun and UV makes them very brittle.
Hi Danny and Byron
It really depend on the months as to how much rain we get, have a look at the graph below and you can see that our months of most rain are between November and March.
Comparison of the 2007 monthly rainfall figures from Aride with the averages for the previous 12 years.
Hi Gabby and Noy
Compared to the UK, it is very hot, we are very close to the Equator and at our hottest time in October, November it can be over 31˚C. Have a look at the table below which shows you the maximum and minimum temperatures, together with the total rainfall for last year.
Hi Emily and Bethany,
Aride Island is located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, have a look on a map and see which countries are next to us. Aride is in the small group of islands called the Seychelles, which on your map will probably look tiny in the idle of a very big ocean.
Thursday 4 December 2008
Hi Children, please see the answers below - Melvyn
Hello Jacob
All our washin
g water comes from the well, it’s not too far about 50m from the house, but the buckets are very heavy. Our drinking water is collected rain from the roof which we store in big barrels, this has to be filtered before we drink it because there are so many birds, and we all know how birds like to pooh on roofs. Think of us when you turn your tap on next.
Hello Grace and Lucy
We try not to catch really big fish like sharks because they are becoming rare and as there are only 8 of us living on the island we could never eat it all. We did catch a really big Barracuda once it was nearly 2m long but we let it go unharmed. The fish we try to catch are about 10kg and about 50cm long and called Red Snapper, great on the barbeque. Do you like fish?
Hello Mike and Sam
Floods are not at all rare in the tropics with 200mm of rain some days in the wet monsoon. We are a small island so the floods just run into the sea and cause us little problems. We rely on heavy rain to fill up the ground water for the well; light rain just evaporates because it’s so hot.
Hello Kai and Fraiser
We go to the toilet the same as you! Seriously, we have what’s called a long drop toilet, this is basically a hole in the ground with a shed built around it. It’s not smelly because we put dry leaves in it to give the correct carbon nitrogen balance (ask a teacher) .
Hello Charlie and Kieran
They hold 200lts each, that’s quite a lot of water and we have six of them, but we still ran out of drinking water in the last dry season. We had to fill up the barrels from the nearest bigger island 10 miles across the sea all in our little boat.
Hello Erica and Heidi
Only Sally’s snoring, not really. Aride is a very noisy island with all the nesting birds and the waves crashing on the reef, at first yes, it did keep us awake, but you soon get use to it. We came home for a holiday in Sept and couldn’t sleep at first because it was too quite!
All our washin
g water comes from the well, it’s not too far about 50m from the house, but the buckets are very heavy. Our drinking water is collected rain from the roof which we store in big barrels, this has to be filtered before we drink it because there are so many birds, and we all know how birds like to pooh on roofs. Think of us when you turn your tap on next. Hello Grace and LucyWe try not to catch really big fish like sharks because they are becoming rare and as there are only 8 of us living on the island we could never eat it all. We did catch a really big Barracuda once it was nearly 2m long but we let it go unharmed. The fish we try to catch are about 10kg and about 50cm long and called Red Snapper, great on the barbeque. Do you like fish?
Hello Mike and Sam
Floods are not at all rare in the tropics with 200mm of rain some days in the wet monsoon. We are a small island so the floods just run into the sea and cause us little problems. We rely on heavy rain to fill up the ground water for the well; light rain just evaporates because it’s so hot.
Hello Kai and Fraiser
We go to the toilet the same as you! Seriously, we have what’s called a long drop toilet, this is basically a hole in the ground with a shed built around it. It’s not smelly because we put dry leaves in it to give the correct carbon nitrogen balance (ask a teacher) .
Hello Kylan and George
We don’t have a shower because we have no running water in the houses, we are trying to get the houses plumbed with running water, but this is difficult in the Seychelles because there are no shops that sell plumbing equipment. We have to ship everything we need from the UK, may be a shower next year, we’ll be real stinky by then! Try showering like me and Sal you two, first get a bucket, fill it from the river Brue and then tip it over your head, perhaps not a good idea in the UK winter though.
We don’t have a shower because we have no running water in the houses, we are trying to get the houses plumbed with running water, but this is difficult in the Seychelles because there are no shops that sell plumbing equipment. We have to ship everything we need from the UK, may be a shower next year, we’ll be real stinky by then! Try showering like me and Sal you two, first get a bucket, fill it from the river Brue and then tip it over your head, perhaps not a good idea in the UK winter though.
Hello Byron and Danny 
Very difficult to say how much water we use per day. For washing up, clothes and ourselves about 10lts each. For drinking and cooking about 5lts each, but if we are working outside because it so hot in the sun I’ll drink 5lts in a morning, it depends on what we are doing. How much do you two use in a day? I think you would find it surprising how much you use, do you think you could manage without water in your taps, could you collect your own water?
Very difficult to say how much water we use per day. For washing up, clothes and ourselves about 10lts each. For drinking and cooking about 5lts each, but if we are working outside because it so hot in the sun I’ll drink 5lts in a morning, it depends on what we are doing. How much do you two use in a day? I think you would find it surprising how much you use, do you think you could manage without water in your taps, could you collect your own water?
Hello Lewis
and Jack
Our nearest shop for food is 10 miles across the sea, there not like the shops in the UK they are very small and quite often no food in them, we can normally buy rice, lentils, eggs, flour and sugar. We make bread, cakes and biscuits, catch fish which we eat most days and grow our own fruit and veg, some of which you’ll never of heard of. The food we eat is good, it’s fresh and very healthy but it is very samey. We miss things like a roast dinner, cheese, crisps and snacky things, I made veggie pasties yesterday as an experiment and they were great, even our Seychellois staff who never heard of pasties liked them. You have to be imaginative with food here!
and JackOur nearest shop for food is 10 miles across the sea, there not like the shops in the UK they are very small and quite often no food in them, we can normally buy rice, lentils, eggs, flour and sugar. We make bread, cakes and biscuits, catch fish which we eat most days and grow our own fruit and veg, some of which you’ll never of heard of. The food we eat is good, it’s fresh and very healthy but it is very samey. We miss things like a roast dinner, cheese, crisps and snacky things, I made veggie pasties yesterday as an experiment and they were great, even our Seychellois staff who never heard of pasties liked them. You have to be imaginative with food here!
Hello Grace and Niamh
Because we live in the tropics we don’t get seasons like the UK, with you, in summer, the sun is high in the sky making it nice and warm and in winter low down and cold burrr. Liv
ing on the equator the sun is high all the time and always very very hot. The weather here is governed by two monsoons (winds). The North West monsoon which we are in now brings hot humid air and lots of rain, the South East monsoon from May to Oct is cooler and less rain. So we have no winter or summer, it did seemed strange to us at first being able to grow veg like tomatoes outside all year round. Another strange thing, the sun comes up at 6am and sets at 6pm every day, so no long lazy summer’s evenings and no horrible dark winter mornings.
Because we live in the tropics we don’t get seasons like the UK, with you, in summer, the sun is high in the sky making it nice and warm and in winter low down and cold burrr. Liv
ing on the equator the sun is high all the time and always very very hot. The weather here is governed by two monsoons (winds). The North West monsoon which we are in now brings hot humid air and lots of rain, the South East monsoon from May to Oct is cooler and less rain. So we have no winter or summer, it did seemed strange to us at first being able to grow veg like tomatoes outside all year round. Another strange thing, the sun comes up at 6am and sets at 6pm every day, so no long lazy summer’s evenings and no horrible dark winter mornings.Hello Aaron and Aiden
We have to many
fish on the reef and surrounding sea to name them all, over 400 different ones, but I’ll tell you about some of my favourites. All of the rays are fantastic and easy to watch from the beach; sometimes they leap out of the water and make such a splash it’s like a dinner table being dropped into the sea from a great height. For colour the Powdered Blue Surgeon for me is the best on the reef, look it up on the internet.
We have to many
fish on the reef and surrounding sea to name them all, over 400 different ones, but I’ll tell you about some of my favourites. All of the rays are fantastic and easy to watch from the beach; sometimes they leap out of the water and make such a splash it’s like a dinner table being dropped into the sea from a great height. For colour the Powdered Blue Surgeon for me is the best on the reef, look it up on the internet.Hello Charlie and KieranThey hold 200lts each, that’s quite a lot of water and we have six of them, but we still ran out of drinking water in the last dry season. We had to fill up the barrels from the nearest bigger island 10 miles across the sea all in our little boat.
Hello Bethany and Lucy
We do catch some big fish, me and Sal use rods but our rangers use hand lines, you can’t buy fishing rods in the Seychelles but they wouldn’t use them if you could, they are very skilful fishermen.
We do catch some big fish, me and Sal use rods but our rangers use hand lines, you can’t buy fishing rods in the Seychelles but they wouldn’t use them if you could, they are very skilful fishermen.
Hello Niamh and Grace
We eat Bonito( like our Mackerel) Job Fish, Red Snapper, Grouper, Emperors and many others.
All the creatures that live here come into the house, all the birds all the insects an
d mice. Our favourite is our tame Skink, Hector (lizard) we feed him cockroaches which we collect in old peanut tins, when we rattle the tin Hector comes running for his lunch, he is very tame. Aride has the highest density of lizards anywhere in the world, one per square meter, how many would that be in your classroom? Our unwanted guests are mosquitoes, the nasty and painful if it bites you Giant Centipede, they grow to 150mm long and like to hide under bed sheets, mice because they eat and spoil our food and crabs only because you tend to step on them in the dark and without shoes they squidge between your toes.
We eat Bonito( like our Mackerel) Job Fish, Red Snapper, Grouper, Emperors and many others.
All the creatures that live here come into the house, all the birds all the insects an
d mice. Our favourite is our tame Skink, Hector (lizard) we feed him cockroaches which we collect in old peanut tins, when we rattle the tin Hector comes running for his lunch, he is very tame. Aride has the highest density of lizards anywhere in the world, one per square meter, how many would that be in your classroom? Our unwanted guests are mosquitoes, the nasty and painful if it bites you Giant Centipede, they grow to 150mm long and like to hide under bed sheets, mice because they eat and spoil our food and crabs only because you tend to step on them in the dark and without shoes they squidge between your toes.
Hello Erica and Heidi
Only Sally’s snoring, not really. Aride is a very noisy island with all the nesting birds and the waves crashing on the reef, at first yes, it did keep us awake, but you soon get use to it. We came home for a holiday in Sept and couldn’t sleep at first because it was too quite!
Hello George and Charlie
If our water supplies are low we would try and fill up all our barrels, 600lts. As I said to Byron and Danny what we use does vary so much, we never waste water because we sometimes we run out. We are hoping to get a filter so we can clean the well water for drinking, then we wouldn’t have to rely on the rain.
If our water supplies are low we would try and fill up all our barrels, 600lts. As I said to Byron and Danny what we use does vary so much, we never waste water because we sometimes we run out. We are hoping to get a filter so we can clean the well water for drinking, then we wouldn’t have to rely on the rain.
Tuesday 2 December 2008
Hi Children
Thanks so much for all your questions - keep watching the blog and I will get the answers on as soon as I can.
Best wishes
Sally
Best wishes
Sally
Tuesday 4 November 2008
Aride Corner at Grand Anse is nearly complete
When I returned off leave from the UK, I found that the children of Grand Anse School had been working very hard and they had nearly completed the Aride Corner. All the painting was finished, from the fish to the frigate birds. The end wall included painted pictures of fairy terns, turtles, sooty terns and turnstones together with the impressive frigate birds. 
There are just the last few finishing touches to do, and one is the painting of a Wright’s Gardinier on the side wall above the area that they are going to keep as a notice board for environmental issues. The Wright’s Gardinier is a very special plant and Aride is the only place in the whole world where it can be found growing naturally and the EcoAride club felt that the corner wouldn’t be complete without one. 
Before
To cover the floor the children have brought in sand and that has provided the foundation for some of the vegetation we find on Aride, such as coconut palms and Scaevola; a beach crest plant which has fleshy leaves and is salt tolerant.
All that was left to do was the creation of a few 3 dimensional papier mâché models to compliment the painting. The children had already made a start, and so far these include a Wright’s skink (type of lizard), and a turtle to sit on the sand, together with a bird which is going to soar through the air below the’ Welcome to Aride’ greeting.
There are just the last few finishing touches to do, and one is the painting of a Wright’s Gardinier on the side wall above the area that they are going to keep as a notice board for environmental issues. The Wright’s Gardinier is a very special plant and Aride is the only place in the whole world where it can be found growing naturally and the EcoAride club felt that the corner wouldn’t be complete without one. 
Before
After
The corner looks great and the other children in the school really like it, it brightens up what was originally a very dark stair well into something that is now not only very creative, but informative and educational too.
Tuesday 21 October 2008
The Southeast monsoon – how Aride got its name.
We are now at the end of the southeast monsoon which falls between the end of May to the beginning of October. This monsoon brings very strong winds from the south east and is very dry, with hardly any rain over the 5 months. This type of weather makes living on an island a real challenge for many reasons and as a result we look forward to the arrival of the northwest monsoon again so life becomes a little easier.
The island changes in the southeast monsoon as the vegetation starts to struggle from a lack of water, the trees go brown and their leaves start to fall, it reminded me of autumn back in the UK, but it was still 30’C! Eventually only the bare branches of the trees are left and looking at the island from the sea it looks sad and dry, scorched by both the sun and the salt spray.
However Aride comes alive at this time of year with wildlife, it is the main breeding time for the seabirds that nest on the island. We have the world’s largest colony of lesser noddys and over 100,000 pairs of sooty terns, not to mention the brown noddys, fairy terns and bridled terns. So Aride becomes both a very busy, noisy and smelly place between May to October.
With the strong winds and the rough sea there is a lot of salt spray that gets blown on to the island, this puts a greasy, salty film over everything, from the vegetables in the garden, which we have to protect, to our clothes. The spray is driven by the wind into the houses and the office and can be very damaging, by causing everything to rust and go mouldy.
It is often the case that because the sea is rough we rarely get visitors to the island and so it can feel quiet remote, even though we can see Praslin the island 6 miles away, we know the sea is to difficult to cross. Our work at this time of year is spent undertaking survey and monitoring work, mainly of the seabird colony, counting 1.25 million seabirds is quiet a difficult task and protecting them from poachers. We also spend time designing new displays and preparing the island for visitors, who will start to come once more in October.
The island changes in the southeast monsoon as the vegetation starts to struggle from a lack of water, the trees go brown and their leaves start to fall, it reminded me of autumn back in the UK, but it was still 30’C! Eventually only the bare branches of the trees are left and looking at the island from the sea it looks sad and dry, scorched by both the sun and the salt spray.
However Aride comes alive at this time of year with wildlife, it is the main breeding time for the seabirds that nest on the island. We have the world’s largest colony of lesser noddys and over 100,000 pairs of sooty terns, not to mention the brown noddys, fairy terns and bridled terns. So Aride becomes both a very busy, noisy and smelly place between May to October.
With the strong winds it means that the large expanse of sea becomes very rough and it is difficult to both launch and land the boat off and on to the island. With no jetty we have to launch the boat by hand, holding it still in the waves until the engine is deep enoug
h in the water to run. It is a difficult task when there are waves taller than you trying to knock you off your feet, but it is the only way we can leave to go shopping and get supplies. Some years the sea is so rough at this time of year we don’t manage to leave the island for two weeks or more and so we have to make our food last. At this time the vegetables we grow in the garden are very important as a fresh food supply.
h in the water to run. It is a difficult task when there are waves taller than you trying to knock you off your feet, but it is the only way we can leave to go shopping and get supplies. Some years the sea is so rough at this time of year we don’t manage to leave the island for two weeks or more and so we have to make our food last. At this time the vegetables we grow in the garden are very important as a fresh food supply. 
With the strong winds and the rough sea there is a lot of salt spray that gets blown on to the island, this puts a greasy, salty film over everything, from the vegetables in the garden, which we have to protect, to our clothes. The spray is driven by the wind into the houses and the office and can be very damaging, by causing everything to rust and go mouldy.
The southeast monsoon can be a very difficult time to live on the island, the wind and salt spray are constant and we know that we will not be able to go over to the mainland very frequently. That is when the telephone and electronic communication become very important as we are unable to receive letters via the post office.
It is often the case that because the sea is rough we rarely get visitors to the island and so it can feel quiet remote, even though we can see Praslin the island 6 miles away, we know the sea is to difficult to cross. Our work at this time of year is spent undertaking survey and monitoring work, mainly of the seabird colony, counting 1.25 million seabirds is quiet a difficult task and protecting them from poachers. We also spend time designing new displays and preparing the island for visitors, who will start to come once more in October.However having said all this, the most significant thing for everyone living on the island in the southeast monsoon i
s whether we have collected enough water to see us through this dry season. For 5 months we will not have any rain and so we will not have any new drinking water and we rely on the water that we have collected through the rainy season of the northwest monsoon. If we do have rain we are often unable to harvest it because the roof is too dirty from all the seabirds that roost there and it would be unsuitable to drink. This year we have been struggling for drinking water and we now have to boil the water and pass it through two filters, before we can drink it. This is quite a time consuming job as working in 32°C means we have to drink regularly to prevent us from becoming too dehydrated. Think now we are finding out how Aride got its’ name!
s whether we have collected enough water to see us through this dry season. For 5 months we will not have any rain and so we will not have any new drinking water and we rely on the water that we have collected through the rainy season of the northwest monsoon. If we do have rain we are often unable to harvest it because the roof is too dirty from all the seabirds that roost there and it would be unsuitable to drink. This year we have been struggling for drinking water and we now have to boil the water and pass it through two filters, before we can drink it. This is quite a time consuming job as working in 32°C means we have to drink regularly to prevent us from becoming too dehydrated. Think now we are finding out how Aride got its’ name!Wednesday 23 July 2008
Hi,
It was great to catch up with the blog. We have just started our summer holiday but we are looking forward to getting on-line when we get back.
Class 4 will be doing a project on 'Water'. It was interesting to read about water on the island. We would like to know all about how the children in the two schools get their water, what they use it for, how much they use, if they have any problems related to water.
We look forward to learning lots from them.
Nina Bernstein
It was great to catch up with the blog. We have just started our summer holiday but we are looking forward to getting on-line when we get back.
Class 4 will be doing a project on 'Water'. It was interesting to read about water on the island. We would like to know all about how the children in the two schools get their water, what they use it for, how much they use, if they have any problems related to water.
We look forward to learning lots from them.
Nina Bernstein
Saturday 19 July 2008
The Seasons of Seychelles
Here in the Seychelles the changing of the seasons is very different to back in the UK and life on Aride island changes with them. There are basically two seasons here and these are in the form of monsoons: the northwest and southeast and they are both dramatically different and hugely influence the way we live.
This water is very important as it fills up the marsh and the well, which both the wildlife and us rely on in the drier months. The northwest monsoon is also the time when we harvest the rainwater for drinking. We do this by collecting all the water that falls on the roof of our house and put it in large barrels that we can then filter and drink. To make sure that the water is as clean as possible, it is very important to ensure that the roof is regularly washed off and that all the bird pooh, leaves and pine needles have been removed.
The calmer seas mean that we are also able to do more work with the local communities at this time of year, as we can almost guarantee that the weather will enable us to make the 6 mile crossing to Praslin our neighbouring island. This means that we can reliably plan to work with the local schools and the tourist operators. Working on an island, reliant on the weather conditions, often means that it is very difficult to plan, which can result in us letting people down and not able to make appointments.
The more settled weather also means it is easier to be self sufficient for food; we are able to regularly catch our own fish as the sea conditions allow us to take the boat out for fishing. The vegetables and trees provide fruit more regularly due to the higher rain fall and crossings to the shops for supplies can be more frequent if we need them.
As well as the tourists we have other important visitors during the northwest monsoon, which rely on the calmer seas and the sandy beach. These are the population of hawksbill turtles that come to lay their eggs on Aride. Hawksbill turtles are very special and we are very lucky to have them breeding here on the island, last year we had 63 nests, with some of the females laying over 3 nests each. They are very rare and still on the critically endangered list and were really threatened just a few years ago as people used to kill them to eat. Now they are protected and populations like Aride are very important for the recovery of the worlds’ population.
The Northwest Monsoon
When we first came to the island in December we arrived in the middle of the northwest monsoon, which is basically from October to April. This monsoon is stereotypically tropical and has high rainfall and high temperatures which the combination of the two bring with it high humidity. The high rainfall is a very important part of this time of year; it provides water for both the island and its occupants. The vegetation turns green and starts to look very lush and the ground water builds up as the water collects from the rain that falls on the hill and rushes down to the lower ground below.
When we first came to the island in December we arrived in the middle of the northwest monsoon, which is basically from October to April. This monsoon is stereotypically tropical and has high rainfall and high temperatures which the combination of the two bring with it high humidity. The high rainfall is a very important part of this time of year; it provides water for both the island and its occupants. The vegetation turns green and starts to look very lush and the ground water builds up as the water collects from the rain that falls on the hill and rushes down to the lower ground below.
This water is very important as it fills up the marsh and the well, which both the wildlife and us rely on in the drier months. The northwest monsoon is also the time when we harvest the rainwater for drinking. We do this by collecting all the water that falls on the roof of our house and put it in large barrels that we can then filter and drink. To make sure that the water is as clean as possible, it is very important to ensure that the roof is regularly washed off and that all the bird pooh, leaves and pine needles have been removed.The northwest monsoon is our busy time for visitors, the weather is a lot calmer and so the sea is calmer too, which means that it is easy for boats to reach us and for us to greet the visitors on them. The sea is also excellent for snorkelling at this time of year, which attracts many holiday makers, who come to see the tropical fish that live around the coral reefs of Aride. The weather at this time of year is largely settled and the temperatures can regularly reach over 30’C in the day and not drop to less than 28’C at night.
A large percentage of our work at this time of year is taken up with running the business of the island and increasing the money that can be raised from the tourism trade as this is the main source of income we have. We charge an entrance fee for visitors to the island and we have a small shop and information centre where we sell souvenirs and books. All the money that we can raise will then go directly back to supporting the conservation work undertaken for the wildlife of Aride.
The calmer seas mean that we are also able to do more work with the local communities at this time of year, as we can almost guarantee that the weather will enable us to make the 6 mile crossing to Praslin our neighbouring island. This means that we can reliably plan to work with the local schools and the tourist operators. Working on an island, reliant on the weather conditions, often means that it is very difficult to plan, which can result in us letting people down and not able to make appointments.The more settled weather also means it is easier to be self sufficient for food; we are able to regularly catch our own fish as the sea conditions allow us to take the boat out for fishing. The vegetables and trees provide fruit more regularly due to the higher rain fall and crossings to the shops for supplies can be more frequent if we need them.
As well as the tourists we have other important visitors during the northwest monsoon, which rely on the calmer seas and the sandy beach. These are the population of hawksbill turtles that come to lay their eggs on Aride. Hawksbill turtles are very special and we are very lucky to have them breeding here on the island, last year we had 63 nests, with some of the females laying over 3 nests each. They are very rare and still on the critically endangered list and were really threatened just a few years ago as people used to kill them to eat. Now they are protected and populations like Aride are very important for the recovery of the worlds’ population.Sunday 15 June 2008
Baie Ste Anne EcoAride Club reuse and recycle to keep their school grounds clean
The children in the EcoAride Club at Baie Ste Anne have found an excellent use for old fuel drums. They are reusing and recycling the drums as rubbish bins, which will be placed around the school grounds to discourage other children at the school from dropping litter.
They also have plans to use the bins to enable people to separate their rubbish, by labelling each one as to which rubbish it is specifically for. This will then enable the school to separate out plastic, paper, non recyclables, cans and glass, so in the future the materials may be recycled.
In their last two extra curricular activity sessions they have been working hard to transform their new litter bins into something that will look good at their school. First of all they have covered the bins with a coat of plain paint and now they have the task of designing brightly coloured images to make them look good and to encourage people to use them.
They also have plans to use the bins to enable people to separate their rubbish, by labelling each one as to which rubbish it is specifically for. This will then enable the school to separate out plastic, paper, non recyclables, cans and glass, so in the future the materials may be recycled.
Monday 9 June 2008
Aride Island corner at Grand Anse Primary School
When I went into school this week the children of the EcoAride club in Grand Anse Primary School, had started to create their very own Aride Corner in the school. With the help of me and the teachers from the school, the children started to transform what was once a dark and dingy stair well into a colourful representation of Aride Island. Following a visit to the island made by many of the children earlier in the year, they were inspired to try and create their own miniature Aride that they could see everyday. The children have already written accounts of their visit, and now they were to use their artistic skills to visually depict what they have seen on the island. 
Initially the location of the corner presented a small challenge; however it has now been used to great effect, with the dark section under the stairs perfect for the colourful underwater scene, showing marine life, including tropical fish and turtles. The underneath of the stairs leading to the first floor makes and excellent place for a ‘Welcome to Aride’, together with large images of a frigate bird and of course the special red tailed tropic bird.
After just one Extra Curricular Activity session the corner is really starting to take shape and in coming weeks we hope to be working on cliff and woodland scenes, showing
wildlife such as fairy terns, white tailed tropic birds, skinks and geckos. It is an excellent way to show other children from the school, just what Aride is like and hopefully get them interested too.
Initially the location of the corner presented a small challenge; however it has now been used to great effect, with the dark section under the stairs perfect for the colourful underwater scene, showing marine life, including tropical fish and turtles. The underneath of the stairs leading to the first floor makes and excellent place for a ‘Welcome to Aride’, together with large images of a frigate bird and of course the special red tailed tropic bird.
After just one Extra Curricular Activity session the corner is really starting to take shape and in coming weeks we hope to be working on cliff and woodland scenes, showing
wildlife such as fairy terns, white tailed tropic birds, skinks and geckos. It is an excellent way to show other children from the school, just what Aride is like and hopefully get them interested too. Once we have finished the walls we hope that we can start to create some models on the floor, using recycled materials and papier mache. Th
ere is so much wildlife that lives on Aride to choose from, the children will have to decide which represents the island the best and what are their favourites.
ere is so much wildlife that lives on Aride to choose from, the children will have to decide which represents the island the best and what are their favourites.This is just the start of the work that the EcoAride club are planning to do around the school to illustrate and communicate conservation messages and also to make the school grounds, colourful, interesting and a great place to learn
Thursday 22 May 2008
Baie Ste Anne EcoAride Club members
Lee and Martin
Kimberly and Jean-Luc
Edward and Emelie
Chloe and Chris
Aaron and Arnaud
Benjamin and Brandon
Martina
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
