GAEA Seychelles builds competence to assess River health thru' Citizen science

GAEA Seychelles builds competence to assess river health through citizen science

Gaea Seychelles has set out to empower local communities to undertake environmental community-based projects to the betterment of their lives.

Local people have long been using citizen science in their daily lives – for instance, thundering rain clouds will announce that a storm is coming; clear bubbling water coming out of a source will indicate that the water is safe to drink. Deducing changes from scientific observations is citizen science.

It is a way for people from the communities and scientists to come together and look at what is happening around them and to use the information they collect to influence changes e.g. decisions, policies, research, education etc.

A five-day training was organised from 18-22 March 2024 by Gaea Seychelles to build the capacity and empower participants on the use of citizen science within the community.

The training was done as part of a project funded by the JRS Biodiversity Foundation to build an information system on freshwater biodiversity for better conservation and management of Seychelles’ rivers.

Two experts from GroundTruth, South Africa delivered the training at the University of Seychelles who facilitated the training through the provision of the laboratory and equipment.

Participants had to take pictures that depicted environmental concerns such as pollution, littering, canalisation, reclamation, encroachment, diversion, tree felling, invasive species, erosion and sedimentation of rivers. Those pictures were used during class discussions to better understand the concerns.

The participants learnt how to use the Clarity tube to measure how clear the water is and this indicates waterbody health. The Velocity plank was used to measure the speed of water and depth of the river which are indicators that can be used to know the amount of water in a river. The speed of water can be used in situations where there is pollution in the river to determine how long it will take for the pollution to reach other areas.

Another tool used was the miniSASS where participants used nets to collect animals in the river which were then identified using a chart. River inhabitants have different sensitivities to their environment and are good indicators of the river health.

Field sessions took place within Riviere Royale at Anse Royale and Grand Anse River. Riviere Royale which flows through residential and agricultural areas had a low result meaning that the river is in ‘poor condition’ whilst Riviere Grand Anse came out as a ‘good condition’ river.

Comparing the results between the two rivers gave the participants a good idea on how the tools can be used to assess the health of our rivers in a simple way.

The training was attended by 23 participants from various organisations like the Ministry of Local Government, Department of Environment, Landscape and Waste Management Agency, Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority, Seychelles Island Foundation, Natural History Museum, Educate to Connect, Watershed Committees, a teacher and individuals from local communities.

Participants described the training as very relevant as it equipped them with the knowledge and skills to be replicated in activities within their community.

Kelsy Gill from the Seychelles National Parks and Garden shared her experience: ‘’The training was very enriching. I especially enjoyed how interactive it was. The different activities were tailored to really get you to be hands-on and involved. The facilitators were very helpful and encouraging. I believe all participants got ample exposure with using the equipment.

"All in all, the training helped me to appreciate the crucial role of rivers that often go unnoticed. Thank you, Gaea team, for making this experience possible!’’

Allana Michel from the Natural History Museum, said: ‘’The training was very informative and helpful. What I liked the most was how the facilitators made the training very comprehensive and lively.

"It was a great opportunity to learn something new and interesting especially during the fieldwork. We all got a chance to demonstrate our skills and development while using the tools that we learnt about. I feel that now I have acquired enough knowledge to share what I have learnt with others’’.