The Valley of Ferney Mauritius

The village of Ferney in the south east of the island holds important meaning to Mauritius as it is the area where the Dutch descended when they first discovered the island in 1598. The place contains one of the few remnants of pristine forest (good quality native forest accounting for less than 2% of total forest area) on the island with a number of endemic flora and fauna and has an amazing view of the Grand Port area and South East Mountain Ranges. In 2006, the CIEL group along with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation started a conservation programme covering 200 hectares so as to help save species close to the brink of extinction. In 2004, a major catastrophe was about to befall the forest. 11 hectares of the forest was to be cleared to make way for a highway leading from the national airport of Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam to the eastern part of the island. The project caused great upheaval all over the island with many environmentalists and conservationists voting against such an act. Sadly Mauritius finds itself on the upper side of the list of extinct species and the forest is well known to harbour a number of endangered endemic species. Fortunately the project was rejected after the analysis of the damages it would cause to the ecosystem, reinforced by petitions submitted to the government. Visiting the valley of lush green plants, clear water springs and joyful chirping of birds is a wonderful one. The picturesque scenery calls to peace and lets the visitor imagine the forest when the Dutch first came to Mauritius; the tract is 3km long and can be covered in 1h30 hours. There are more than a 100 plant species in the forest with most of them being classified as vulnerable or endangered. It is thought to harbour a wide array of invertebrates and insects not yet unveiled by science. Amongst the endemic plants are the Bois Poupart, Bois d’Eponge, Ebony, Bois Clou, Bois Perroquet and Vacoas. The endemic animals are mostly the avifauna namely the Kestrel, the Fruit Bat, the Paille en Queue, the Gecko, the Mauritian black bulbul and the Mauritian grey white eye. The Ferney estate sugar mill lies right on the premises along with a small coffee plantation and coffee museum. The reception area provides information, maps and guides to make the visit a pleasant and educational one. There is also a restaurant specializing in Mauritian food consisting mainly of local fish, deer and boar; to remember the visit, the souvenir shop has many items such as books, bracelets etc. A visit to the valley is worthwhile; all the money obtained from this ecotourism business is used for funding other conservation and preservation projects in the forest thus allowing the survival of many endemic species.