Claudia is the outdoor type and needs to be in the open.?Since my childhood, I wanted to be a scientist but, when I was working in a biochemistry lab, I realised that I did not like being in a closed in environment all the time.? During her studies, she used to spend 3 months doing fieldwork (in the Amazon forest!) and only one month in the city to compile her work.

Can she satisfy her appetite for large green expanses in Mauritius after her 3 years spent in the Amazon? ?Of course, there are so many endemic species here and, more importantly, there is so much to do in the conservation sector.? She is obviously concerned about the endangered species in the few areas of forest left in our country.

?I came to Mauritius for a short break after my doctorate,? Claudia recalls with a smile, ?but I ended up staying here!? Even though Brazil is geographically and culturally different from Mauritius, she is trying to adapt, by learning English to start with, but unfortunately ?although it is the national language, not a lot of people are fluent in it.? But the island is no longer foreign to her since she often goes off on treks to explore the flora. ?I especially enjoy places like Maccabé because I love the feeling of walking in a forest of big trees.?

Brazil is known for the relaxed attitude of its people and Claudia is no exception. She feels that, when people call her ?doctor?, it is too formal! She also dislikes the ?barriers between communities here.? She explains how in her home country, there are no questions about issues such as religion.

Maybe one of the reasons why she is so open-minded is her experience of living with the Amerindian tribe of Kayapó. ?They taught me that life should be lived simply.? She describes how they live from day to day and how touching she found their joie de vivre and always-smiling faces. When she was living in the forest, she also learnt how to interpret the different ?signs? of nature, indicating season changes, for example. Judging from the sparkle in her eyes, being able to observe all this was obviously a great experience in her life.

Claudia enjoys the sense of security of Mauritius. ?In Sao Paulo life is much more violent than here.? Although she misses aspects of her home country, like her friends, she has been happily married to Vincent Florens for the last three years and loves her family.