Environment protector Katy Beaver passes away   |28 October 2021

Born in the United Kingdom but later decided some 40 years ago to make Seychelles her home, Katy Beaver passed away last week following an illness.

Known to be a protector of Seychelles' green environment, Mrs Beaver is survived by her husband Lyndsay Chong Seng, who is a well-known local environmentalist, two daughters and her siblings in the United Kingdom.

She was a founder of the Plant Conservation Action Group and as a conservationist was involved in many types of research and studies. She was also a writer and illustrator.

In 2017, she was honoured by the Seychelles' Natural History Museum when a fern was named after her. ‘Fouzer Kati’ (Katy's fern in English) was in honour of her extensive contribution toward the study of plants in Seychelles, popularising scientific research and developing educational material for children and young researchers.

Speaking to journalists on the occasion she said: "It is a great honour to have a Latin name given to a plant after yourself. Something that pleases me is that it is a very small fern, almost microscopic. That suits my nature quite well."

Mrs Beaver also worked on other projects and they include the upgrade of the National Herbarium, the monitoring of the Bryophytes on dying Sandragon trees and the setting up of a permanent exhibition in the Doctor's House, Curieuse island – a terrestrial and marine park.

Compiled by Gerard Govinden