Human Activities - Yo Nature

Earth seen from space in black background with words climate change natural and anthropogenic causes written

Climate change: Natural and Anthropogenic causes

June 7, 2020

Today’s extreme weather events, melting glaciers, fragmenting permafrost and sea-level rise are all attributed to one culprit: climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the international body that works on climate change science, declares that there is now indisputable scientific evidence that Read More

Painting of the extinct Dodo bird on Mauritius Island

The Dodo Bird of Mauritius: From Discovery to Extinction

May 13, 2020

Native to the small island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, the chubby flightless Dodo bird (Raphus cucullatus) became famous through its own extinction. Discovered by the Dutch in the 16th century, the creature disappeared from the Earth’s surface within some 80 years of Read More

10 common medicinal plants written in green box on poster of moringa, wild mint, aloe vera, pot marigold and tulsi

10 common medicinal plants in Mauritius

May 8, 2020

The content of this article is for educational purpose only and is not intended as medical advice. Please seek the help of a doctor before using any of the below-mentioned plants. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Wildlife Fund state Read More

Gorilla, the purpose of ecotourism

The purpose of ecotourism

August 16, 2019

Over the past decades, the term ‘ecotourism’ has become quite common for travelers around the world. Travel agencies swear by it to promote green touristic activities and encourage tourists to book their holidays with them. However, in many cases, the concept of ecotourism has Read More

How to decrease your ecological footprint , open light bulb half filled with water with turtle in it, boat floating and white seagulls flying above and out of it light bulb case on mossy green rocks spilling from it

14 simple ways to reduce your ecological footprint

May 20, 2019

Have you ever thought of the impact of your daily activities on the planet? Calculating your ecological footprint (read more about ecological footprint here) gives an idea of how much land and resources are needed to sustain you. When we think of how much Read More

Footprint made of green bushes representing the ecological footprint

The concept of Ecological Footprint explained

May 9, 2019

Ecological footprint (EF) is a measure of the demands that an individual or a group of persons make on global natural resources. In 1996, Wackernagel and Rees came up with the concept in a book called Our Ecological Footprint. It provides an overview of Read More

Monochrome picture showing a bench in a flooded plain with the words, flooding, where to be and what to do, written in yellow in a black box

Flooding: Types, Dangers and Mitigation Measures

February 18, 2019

Flooding occurs when dry land is submerged in water. This water may come from heavy rainfall spilling over river banks, blocked drainage, storms, tsunamis and oceanic waves, melting ice, or even a break in a river dam. The intensity of a flood, in any Read More

Poached elephant carcass lying on grassy ground.

Are elephants becoming extinct in the wild?

January 30, 2019

The largest land mammals could very soon be wiped off the Earth. One word. Poaching. Illegal trade in ivory threatens these majestic animals close to extinction. The way things are now going, it is estimated that the African elephants may disappear by the end Read More

Moon with a yellowish to dark red hue in a black background

Blood Moons Explained – Astronomical and Spiritual Significance

January 28, 2019

Over the years, the term Blood Moon has taken quite some significance and made its name in history. Besides arousing the fascination of astronomy lovers, this phenomenon sparks the interest of both astrologers and the religious brethren because of what they read into it. Read More

Natural picture of a jackfruit tree showing three big green elongated jackfruit, Artocorpus heterophyllus, with wordings 'Jackfruit - strong odour but tumor detector' written in bold yellow in the center.

Jackfruit – Don’t judge by the smell!

October 29, 2018

Commonly known as ‘zak, or ‘jacque’ in Mauritius, the jackfruit is normally coined with bad smelling odors. Natives make fun of people who give off strong smells by associating them with the ripe jackfruit smell. Though this is how we normally see the jackfruit, Read More

3D image of bluish-green water showing piece of brown underwater continent on which lies a small island with its base arising from the continental mass and green trees and buildings atop the island; black birds fly in the distance.

Mauritius, the island on an underwater continent

October 10, 2018

In 2017, a team of scientists led by Ashwal published a paper in Nature Communications suggesting the presence of an ancient continent beneath Mauritius [1]. In fact, his discovery led to the conclusion that a part of the ancient continent, Gondwana (more accurately, a Read More

Five electric blue flower pots in an indoor setting with thick green foliage plants with small purple flower on a white horizontal iron stand, in front of a white and a strip of red background

Plants can purify indoor air – Fact or Bait?

August 21, 2018

As a matter of fact, we are now living in an era of intense pollution; coming up with remedial solutions is as such crucial. One way to turn our heads is towards the natural assets that we already have in the environment. There has Read More

Fresh flowers, Eight baby pink roses and two buds, one slightly open, the other closed, on a wooden bench tied with grey lace fabric

Scientifically proven benefits of fresh flowers

August 20, 2018

The 21st century has seen a dramatic increase in stress levels in the lives of people around the globe. Simply because we have a lot to accomplish in a little amount of time. We hardly take time to appreciate the beautiful components of our Read More

Vivid picture of 9 bouquets of fresh flowers, yellow, pink, orange, purple, white green in color, neatly packed in white paper

Fresh flowers: Benefits, use, care and much more!

August 14, 2018

Do you know that fresh flowers can change your home atmosphere by enhancing your creativity to making you happier? Numerous psychological and physiological studies have shown that fresh flowers have a direct effect on our bodies and mental health. Stop wasting your money on Read More

Cluster of branches displaying small green leaves of moringa

The Magical Moringa oleifera – Brede Mouroum

May 9, 2018

Know that big tree that grows almost everywhere in Mauritius? The one with the really small leaves and long green pods that look like expanded pea pods. The Moringa tree or the brede mouroum has been used to treat a wide array of diseases Read More

Small ripples on a stretch of water formed by falling rainwater and a chunk of grass in the right hand side and a tree branch in the left hand side

Rainwater harvesting – saving water in Mauritius

May 7, 2018

Rainwater is water that falls directly from clouds. It is one of the purest forms of water since it comes straight from its source. In the midst of climate change and its threats of longer periods of droughts (and consequently water shortage), harvesting rainwater Read More