With ?The native plants and animals of Mauritius? and ?A guide to the plants in Mauritius?, the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation has published two major offerings in the field of nature conservation. The first is aimed directly at the younger generation, giving all the meanings and issues implied by the word «preservation».

Dedicated to ?the future guardians of our natural heritage,? The native plants and animals of Mauritius, a Mauritius Wildlife Foundation (MWF) handbook, shows its aim as from the outset : giving to the younger generation the awareness and the responsibility needed to preserve nature in our island. Here, the central notion is responsibility, which is so often lacking among the so-called adults. Not to mention the awareness?

The way this publication tackles these issues is tellingly intelligent, that is without fuss. A natural heritage is not a mere deposit (it ends somewhere, irreversibly, the advocates of development should be aware), it is also not without links with our lives. There is a moral issue when, in the brief introduction, the section dealing with ?The beginning of life on Mauritius» traces the coming of plants and animals, «which reached the island from Madagascar, Africa, India and Asia by the wind or the sea. These (?) became isolated and slowly changed to become completely different from species found anywhere else in the world.? Who wants to construct a nation, an identity? Our fauna and flora did it well before the coming of the first man to this paradise island.

Plant and animal life had a great diversity at that crucial time, but all seemed to have something in common : they adapted so well. One of the characteristics of the native forest was its ability to withstand cyclones. Too bad : this would also lead it to its downfall, as the wood was ideal for building purposes.

Another obvious link is that plants and animals don?t just live for themselves. They live in a system, which also guarantees our survival: forests, for instance, «play an important role in environmental health by helping to preserve water sources and prevent soil erosion.»

The sheer absence of care of man would be another reason for the ecological destruction, which has left us with only 2% of the indigenous forest standing : it was he who brought invasive plants and animals whose disastrous influence is underlined. The objective is for present readers to become aware of the distinction between pests and native species.

But, ultimately, in commenting this handbook, words seem empty. What counts is education, completed by observation and action. What adds to the scientific soundness of this young people?s guide to Mauritian nature is the gorgeous photographs that form the core of the handbook: classified with great care (birds are separated from insects and reptiles, for example), fully and concisely presented and explained (local and scientific names of species, whether they are endemic or native etc?).

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The handbook does not come alone: the long-awaited ?Guide to the plants in Mauritius? has finally come to life, and it is essential reading. Conceived by botanists Rachel Atkinson and Jean Claude Sevathian, with photographs by Christopher Kaiser and Dennis Hansen, it is a practical guide, whom nobody interested in plant life and conservation in Mauritius will want to be without.

The only hope one can express about this remarkable effort is that the books will really work, and not become mere witnesses of vanished riches in the future. At least the proceeds from the sale of these books ( ?The native plants and animals of Mauritius? is at Rs 200 and ?A guide to the plants in Mauritius? is at Rs 400. Both can be obtained from bookshops and the MWF) will support the conservation work of the MWF.