The new team member...Lessi..

Alessia (nicknamed Lessi)

Hi there! My name is Alessia Lavigne, and I am new to the MCSS team. I have just recently finished my A-levels and have a passion for nature and conservation and would love to share my thoughts with you thus far.

My first few weeks of work was quite an exciting experience ranging from nesting sea turtles under the hot sun, to terrapin hunting in the vast wetlands of Banyan Tree Hotel. However, one of the main highlights of my MCSS adventure so far was that of rescuing 91 baby hawksbill turtles!

These turtles probably hatched during the night; the lights from the villa disoriented the hatchlings and caused them to travel up instead of down the beach. It was not until the afternoon that we received a call about sightings of a few hatchlings near the villa.

To our great surprise, many more were under the villa. Due to being out of water for so long, the poor things were weak, shriveled and exhausted. Therefore, we temporarily placed them in a pool to revitalize them as we continued our search. As we pulled some from crab holes, some from debris, and some from other nooks and crannies, before we knew it we had 91 hatchlings swimming cheerfully in the pool.

Re-hydrated & ready to head off 

Releasing the hatchlings

As sweet as they were paddling in the pool, their rightful quest lies in the arms of the ocean. It was time to set them on their journey. After collecting data about their nest and numbers, we released our new friends off the beach of Anse Intendance where it is important for them to make their own way into the sea and not to be disturbed or picked up by people. It was a sight to behold.

Wish me luck!

I admire and respect the people and colleagues I meet every day through MCSS who share the same mission to protect nature and make a difference in this world. I feel privileged to have become a part of this team and look forward for what else this career has yet to unravel.