ECS at the heart of the Morne mangroves
Under the warm Morne sun, about twenty employees from Eclosia Corporate Services (ECS) traded their offices for a landscape of mangroves, salt water, and sea breeze. On Thursday, October 16, they visited a mangrove restoration site as part of the regional Varuna programme, implemented by Expertise France with financial support from the French Development Agency (AFD). This initiative breathes new life into the coastal ecosystems of this emblematic region in Mauritius’s southwest.
The activity formed part of the Semaines Terre et Cœur, an initiative designed by ECS’s Sustainability and Human Resources departments, running from October 13 to 24. The goal: to give real meaning to the Group’s values through tangible experiences that reconnect people with nature and with one another.
Other initiatives are punctuating this first edition - a meeting with families affected by drug addiction at Lakaz A, sorting and sewing workshops with Nou Baz Solider, the Fresque du Climat activity, a shared lunch at Sainte-Anne Hospice, and soon, an immersion at WeCycle to better understand waste recycling in Mauritius.
At Le Morne, the group discovered another world. Among the winding roots of the mangroves, the water shimmered, and the land seemed to breathe again. These trees, with their distinctive silhouettes, form a living barrier against erosion, filter pollutants, and offer shelter to fish and crabs. “The sediment quality used to be poor, filled with decaying organic matter that turned the sand black,” explained Yashvin Neehaul, ECS’s Environmental Sustainability Manager. “The mangroves absorbed the excess nutrients, and the soil regained its original colour. It proves that nature knows how to heal itself - if we give it time.”
The restoration work is carried out by women from the local community, whose perseverance is slowly reshaping the coastline. But the battle is far from over. Just a few metres from the regenerating roots, waste still mars the landscape - plastics, cans, cardboard, worn tyres. The Eclosia team rolled up their sleeves for a quick cleanup session.
“It’s incredible how much we managed to collect in such a short time. We’re leaving with real awareness - our small actions matter, even far from the sea,” shared one participant.
For Caroline Rault, Chief Sustainability Officer, the Semaines Terre et Cœur are above all a human journey. “We want to bring meaning to our actions, to create bonds - between colleagues and with society. That’s what keeps Eclosia’s heart beating.”