Staff of Cable & Wireless joined ‘Friends of Flycatcher’ on Saturday, March 1, for some much needed conservation and maintenance work at the La Digue Veuve Reserve.  Under the slogan ‘A helping hand for a stronger community’ the eager group of staff were mobilised through the CWS Foundation, which was set up 9 years ago to give proactive support to the community across Seychelles. The Veuve reserve provides a breeding and feeding area for the endemic Paradise Flycatcher which is found only on La Digue and is the only bird in Seychelles listed as “critically endangered” by the IUCN. The plateau, which also serves as a tourist trail, was badly flooded during the recent heavy rains on the island and rehabilitation work was needed. ‘Our urgent action in response to a disaster which threatens the existence of our endemic species and in turn the tourism industry on La Digue is not only required but also expected on our part,’ says Terry Servina, CWS public relations & events manager, who also organises the CWS Foundation activities. ‘The CWS Foundation was set up so that we can go beyond the company’s normal donation activities and through this community work our staff are actively engaged in something that is important for Seychelles’ heritage as well as tourism on La Digue.’ The CWS staff, mostly from Praslin and La Digue, was joined by the ‘Friends of Flycatcher’ –mobilised by the National Park Staff, a group of school children aged between 9 and 11 years from the La Digue school environment club. The team was hard at work throughout the morning with preparation of an area for a new endemic garden, clearing of another area where the birds come to drink water, filling puddle-prone locations on the trails as well as planting two different types of native trees. ‘This act from Cable and Wireless is very encouraging and I am so grateful that they came to give us such meaningful support,’ stated Josiana Rose, conservation ranger, who oversaw the work at the reserve. The community work also offered a useful lesson in environmental awareness for the whole team especially as many of them had not been to the reserve previously. It was fitting that the team were rewarded by the sight of a cute tree frog and notably, a beautiful male and female Paradise Flycatcher couple carefully building their nest with twigs and spider’s web. ‘The trip was well worth it on so many levels,’ says Mr Servina, ‘and we are glad for the opportunity and for the help we received from the little Friends of Flycatcher. We hope to come again and be joined by them and others who wish to make a difference in our community.’