1. Mobilisation of volunteers in Rodrigues By Anieta Shan Yu Rodrigues Nature Reserve Officer Mauritian Wildlife Foundation Séminaire de restitution du projet LIFE+ COREXERUN – 02 au 06 juin 2014

2. Rodriques Island

3. History In the early 80’s Rodriguans knew nothing about native flora and fauna of Rodrigues It was only volunteers coming from the U.K. who came on and off to look for native plants and count the endemic birds and bats; e:g Wendy strahm wrote the RED DATA BOOK of Rodrigues Past researches work in isolation without the population being involved This initiative was funded by WWF

4. The change In 1998 when Richard Payendee joined the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) and started working with the foreign volunteers. MWF started a new project and vision in Conservation involving the local community (year 1999)

5. Recruitment of Volunteers MWF started a national champagne how to protect the native flora and fauna of Rodrigues ( Grande Montagne, Anse Quitor, Ile aux Cocos) Talks was given on radio, in schools, in village communities to invite people to come and help for free as fund was not available to pay salaries.

6. Negotiations with schools teachers

7. Visiting Nature Reserve

8. Talk in School

9. Nursery visits

11. Nursery works

12. Seed cleaning

13. Control of invasive species

14. Maintenance Weeding

15. Planting activity

16. Monitoring

17. Volunteer groups Lions club, MCB Bank, Barclays Bank, Mauritius Telecom, Emtel, School children, Scouts Groups, Youth Groups Air Mauritius, Jeune Chambre Economique, village communities, Sport clubs, Women Associations….ect Local Government staff and amateur botanist

18. Thank You Hibiscus liliflorius