First ‘Katy Beaver Memorial Lecture’ launched |13 June 2023
The exhibition showcasing the work of the late Katy Beaver
Event celebrates late environmentalist and inspires young enthusiasts
The Ministry of Education launched its first-ever ‘Katy Beaver Memorial Lecture’ yesterday to commemorate this year’s Environment Week and the 30th Anniversary of the Eco-school programme.
The lecture, held at the National Theatre, is an initiative of the Minister for Education, Dr Justin Valentin, spearheaded by the Education for Sustainable Development Section in the Ministry of Education.
It is aimed at inspiring young Seychellois into environmental conversations, publicise the work of young local scientists and honour the work of the late Katy Beaver who is known for her environment-related works, which have been widely used by environment students in the country.
The first lecturer chosen this year was scientist Dr Annabelle Constance, with her presentation of Aldabra’s mangrove and coastline.
She was convened by Minister Valentin, in the presence of the Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Flavien Joubert, families and friends of Mrs Beaver, and a large group of scientists, environmentalists, students from secondary schools and professional centres and their teachers.
During her 45-minute presentation, Dr Constance shared her research carried out in 2019, which was also her thesis for a Phd at the University of Zurich, where she studied from 2018 to 2022.
Speaking to Seychelles NATION, Dr Constance said she was honoured to have been chosen as the first lecturer for the Katy Beaver Memorial Lecture, especially considering the amount of work Mrs Beaver has done alongside young environment enthusiasts, like herself.
She was also impressed that her research generated a lot of interest, with many young people seizing the question time to enquire about mangroves.
“The level of interest was amazing and I did not expect that much participation especially from young people. So it is very good to see that they are interested in our environment,” she said.
Yesterday’s event was also to honour Mrs Beaver and her contibutions towards plant conservation. Marie-Therese Purvis, a friend and former colleague who addressed the guests, highlighted some of her key conservation projects and other environment-related activities. Mrs Purvis stated that Mrs Beaver remains as a vital source of inspiration for many, as well as one of the most outstanding teachers and environmentalists of Seychelles.
She said her passion for the protection of plants and the ecosystems led her into extensive research with different individual and groups, the publications of many books and articles as well as presentations and training.
Mrs Beaver was also a founding member of the Plant Conservation Action (PCA) group in 2002, which over the years engaged in many plant conservation projects at Jardin Du Roi in Anse Royale and Tea tavern restoration. She also organised various field trips to explore places like Basen Diri, Mont Sebert and La Reserve among others.
“Another of Katy’s special gifts was to spot and teach us, in the most intriguing way, about the tiniest of plants – the smallest mosses, algae and ferns – which we would never have noticed otherwise. In these many unobtrusive ways she got us to understand the particularities of each one and to appreciate the wonders of the forests and the importance of their preservation,” she said.
Mrs Beaver, who passed away in October 2022, was honoured by the Seychelles Natural History Museum in 2017, when a new species of fern was named after her, ‘Fouzer Kati’ – Katy's fern in English (didymoglossumbeaverianum). This was to recognise her extensive contribution toward the study of plants in Seychelles, popularising scientific research and developing educational material for children and young researchers.
She also worked on other projects which included 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.
Katy Beaver mentored many students who have now became environmentalists or conservationists.
Following yesterday’s lecture, the guests were able to view an exhibition outside the theatre showcasing the work of the late Katy Beaver.
The Katy Beaver Memorial Lecture will take place annually to commemorate Environment Day celebrated on June 5.
Patsy Canaya
Photos by Louis Toussaint
