The Vallee de Mai palm forest is a remarkable living remnant of the prehistoric forests which existed when Seychelles' granitic islands were still part of the Gondwanaland, the huge land mass which included what is now Africa, Madagascar and India. Millions of years of isolation enabled a unique community of plants and animals to develop here and some species are found nowhere else. Up to about 1930 Vallee de Mai was more or less virgin forest, little affected by man, unlike much of the rest of Praslin Island. In the 1930's a new landowner decided to beautify the valley, creating a restful retreat and botanical gardens, hence many ornamentals and fruits trees were introduced. In 1948 Vallee de Mai was acquired by the government, as part of the major catchment area of Praslin, and in 1966 it became a Nature Reserve. Rehabilitation became a priority, involving gradual removal of the exotic and invasive species, regeneration of vegetation on the burnt ridge tops and maintenance of the coco de mer forest. Although this method of management is necessarily slow and subject to setbacks, the overall effect is more natural and already Vallee de Mai begins to take on its primaeval appearance once again. A place of superlatives is merits time spent in observation and reflection.

said dcrrld 2008.09.06 at 14:49:13 PDT