Bio-diversity

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 Brief Summary The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation is dedicated to the conservation of the native wildlife of Mauritius and Rodrigues, and their habitats. In Rodrigues, it has a specialisation in habitat restoration and has a long-term involvement in the restoration of both Grande Montagne and Anse Quitor Nature Reserves. The objectives of MWF closely mirror those of the GEF SGP Country Programme Strategy, as we are dedicated to training, developing local capacity and establishing long-term self-sustaining projects. The original fauna and flora of Rodrigues is unique to the world; however, it has suffered from the onslaught of four centuries of degradation which has demised much of Rodrigues rich biodiversity. Surviving plants are reduced to a single individual or a handful of individuals or small isolated populations. To address species decline and forest fragmentation, the MWF has focused much of its expertise on habitat restoration. The two mainland nature reserves of Anse Quitor and Grande Montagne contain some of these last relics of forest on Rodrigues, albeit degraded, and have been undergoing restoration since the mid-1980s. Anse Quitor is an interesting area with caves in which many bones of the extinct Solitaire and tortoise have been found, and plants grown in crater-like holes where little soil has gathered. Furthermore, Anse Quitor Nature Reserve holds the only known endemic trees of Zanthoxylum paniculatum and the rare Foetidia rodriguesiana, Terminalia benzoe, Antirhea bifurcata, and Gastonia rodriguesiana grow along the river banks in this nature reserve. Less than half of the 35ha fenced Anse Quitor Nature reserve has been restored to date. MWF wishes to continue the work started over 20 years ago so that a higher proportion of the reserve is restored through the GEF Small Grants Programme, if approved. The project will also aim to have an important social component. MWF will recruit a team of local villagers for the restoration of Anse Quitor Nature Reserve, and to demonstrate that conservation is a job provider. Conservation can also be a means of alleviating poverty, providing alternative employment, and empowering local communities. Through the project, MWF hopes to develop a dedicated team of local villagers for the continuous restoration and maintenance of the Anse Quitor Nature reserve by the end of the GEF SGP programme. During the two years of this proposed project, the MWF aims to restore 4 ha within the Anse Quitor Nature Reserve. Building upon our previous experience and upon our core competences, the MWF intends to implement the following principal activities during this restoration work: Recruit and train a team of 6 labourers in restoration techniques Propagation of native and endemic seedling in the Solitude Nursery from propagation material collected in the field Restoration of the 4 ha involving the removal of invasive alien species and the planting of endemic seedlings Organise educational talks, tours, and restoration work days to involve the local community Develop an informational brochure for Anse Quitor Nature Reserve Along with conserving Rodrigues endangered biodiversity, through plant restoration, this project will contribute to combating climate change. Each seedling planted will help to reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which will help to slow the rate of global warming. The total cost of this two year project will amount to MUR 4,774,970 1.2 Background on Mauritian Wildlife Foundation The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) is a Registered Charity (No. 2134) and was established in 1984. MWF works in close cooperation with the Government of Mauritius and the Rodrigues Regional Assembly, formalised in two memorandums of understanding. The headquarters is located in Vacoas, Mauritius and the Rodrigues branch is based in Solitude. MWF is the only Mauritian NGO to be exclusively concerned with the conservation of terrestrial endemic species and their habitats, and in Rodrigues has a specialisation in habitat restoration. The principal objective of the organisation is to save threatened native and endemic species from extinction. 1.3 Project objectives: The objectives of this restoration project in Anse Quitor Nature Reserve are to: Increase the extent of restored forest on Rodrigues. Protect the biodiversity and rare plant species of the Anse Quitor region Combat climate change through the planting of seedlings Demonstrate that through job creation conservation activities can sustain livelihoods with adjacent communities Alleviate poverty and provide alternative employment through recruitment of local labourers Organise Restoration Work Days with the community to increase the awareness of Rodrigues endemic flora and the Anse Quitor Nature Reserve Organise educational talks and tours with local stakeholders (village, youth, school, and business groups) Develop an informational brochure for the Anse Quitor Nature Reserve 1.4 Project rationale, including relationship to the GEF-SGP Country Programme Strategy: One of the GEF program objectives is conservation through protection of secondary forest ecosystems, by establishing and strengthening systems of conservation areas, focusing primarily on tropical & temperate ecosystems in areas at risk. This aligns directly with this project s objectives, which are detailed in Section 3.2, as restoration of the Anse Quitor degraded habitat will conserve this forest and strengthen the bio

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