What Ebony Forest does

Ebony Forest is a Mauritius-registered conservation non-governmental organization operating since 2005-2006, anchored by a 195-hectare nature reserve at Chamarel in the southwest of the island. The organization restores native lowland forest, operates fenced predator-control grids (two of the largest in Mauritius, totaling 90 hectares), and runs captive breeding and reintroduction programs for threatened endemic species including birds, reptiles, snails, and plants. In 2023, it completed the first release of translocated Aldabra giant tortoises on mainland Mauritius, a milestone for the country's rewilding agenda. It also operates additional intervention sites at Vallée de L'Est, Providence, and Montagne Longue, and has extended activities to Rodrigues and Madagascar, with the latter covering roughly 20,000+ hectares.

Its core offerings are organized around three functions: (i) conservation operations (habitat restoration, predator control, captive breeding, species reintroductions, and a native plant nursery), (ii) ecotourism and education (guided reserve walks, school and university programs, on-site interpretation), and (iii) conservation training, including fee-based courses delivered at Chamarel. The business model is hybrid: visitor revenue and activity bookings at Chamarel, nursery plant sales, corporate team-building packages, conservation training course fees, and institutional grants from foundations such as CEPF and Fondation Franklinia, supplemented by corporate sponsorship (e.g., MCB). Customers span domestic and international tourists, school and university groups, corporate CSR clients, visiting conservation professionals, and grant-making bodies. The organization partners formally with the National Parks and Conservation Service and the Mauritius Forestry Service, and is connected to the broader Mauritian conservation ecosystem through co-directorships and operational links with entities such as La Vanille Nature Park.

Name

Ebony Forest

Legal name

Ebony Forest

Website

https://ebonyforest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ebony Forest is a Mauritius conservation NGO that restores native forests, breeds and reintroduces threatened endemic species, and funds operations through ecotourism, plant sales, training courses, and institutional grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH), Forest Carbon Projects & Ecosystem Services (Carbon Credits, Biodiversity) (IMAMAAAJ)

Keywords

• Native forest restoration
• Endemic species conservation
• Ecotourism guided walks
• Conservation training courses
• Native plant nursery

Headquarters

HQ city

Chamarel

HQ country

Mauritius

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ecotourism Activities: Revenue from visitor activities including guided walks, birdwatching tours, scenic viewpoints, school visits, and corporate team-building events (Green Team Fun). Entrance fees and activity bookings directly fund conservation efforts.
2. Plant Sales: Sale of excess native and endemic plant stock from nursery. Includes trees, shrubs, palms, climbers, and ground covers suited to Mauritian conditions. Supports both conservation and retail customers.
3. Donations and Grants: Donations through booking platform and grants from foundations including Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Fondation Franklinia, and corporate sponsors for specific conservation projects.
4. Conservation Training Courses: Bespoke field courses for undergraduate and postgraduate students covering 23 different conservation topics. Also offers specialized training for civil society organizations through CEPF-funded regional capacity building program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Ebony Forest is a non-profit conservation NGO that manages 195 hectares of restored native forest across multiple sites in Mauritius, offering guided eco-tourism activities, conservation training courses, volunteer placements, school education programs, and a native plant nursery. It funds forest restoration, species conservation (birds, reptiles, snails, plants), and predator control through visitor fees, plant sales, donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Ebony Forest is a conservation NGO operating as a multi-faceted nature organization offering forest restoration services, species conservation programs, eco-tourism, education, and training. The core offerings include Forest Restoration (native forest restoration across multiple sites), Species Conservation Programs (endemic birds, reptiles, snails, plants), Eco-Tourism Activities (guided walks, birdwatching, hiking), Native Plant Nursery (endemic plants for sale), Conservation Training Courses (23 field courses), Volunteer and Internship Programs, Schools Education, Corporate Activities (Green Team Fun), and Regional Capacity Building. These services work together as an integrated conservation approach where eco-tourism and plant sales fund restoration, while training builds regional conservation capacity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eco-Tourism Activities Nature-based tourism experiences including guided forest walks, birdwatching, hiking trails, scenic viewpoints, and team-building activities at the Ebony Forest Reserve in Chamarel for individual visitors, tourists, and corporate groups.
• Native Plant Nursery Specialized nursery offering native and endemic Mauritian plants, including trees, shrubs, palms, climbers, ground covers, and rare and threatened species, for sale to support conservation and restoration by individual gardeners, schools, and associations.
• Conservation Training Courses Bespoke field courses for undergraduate and postgraduate students covering 23 topics including forest restoration, eco-guiding, bird/reptile/invertebrate surveying, GIS, statistics, predator control, and species conservation project setup, designed for university departments and research institutions.
• Schools Education Program Nature education programs for primary and secondary school groups using the forest as a classroom, offering curricula-related activities in English, French, or Creole, including access to the Natural History Museum and Ecology Centre, designed for Mauritian schools.
• Green Team Fun Corporate Activities Corporate team-building activities including treasure hunts, nature-based activities, guided hikes, endemic plant planting, weeding, and nursery work, promoting teamwork and environmental awareness for corporate clients in Mauritius.
• Volunteer Program Conservation volunteer placements lasting 1 day to 6 months for field biologists aged 18-50, offering hands-on experience in fauna and flora conservation, bird monitoring, tortoise monitoring, native plant propagation, and forest restoration activities.
• Scientific Research Internships Internship opportunities for diploma, BSc, MSc, and PhD students in fauna and flora conservation, sustainability, marketing, guiding, and eco-tourism, with potential for contributing to existing conservation projects.
• Regional Capacity Building Staff placement programme for civil society organisations in the Madagascar and Indian Ocean biodiversity hotspot, providing hands-on training in forest restoration, predator control, and bird translocations, funded by CEPF.
• Forest Restoration Large-scale native forest restoration services including site assessment, invasive species removal, endemic tree planting, and long-term forest management across multiple sites in Mauritius.
• Species Conservation Programs Science-based species conservation including captive breeding, reintroduction, and habitat restoration for threatened endemic birds, reptiles, snails, and plants, covering the Echo Parakeet, Mauritius Kestrel, Pink Pigeon, Mauritius Olive White-eye, reptiles, and snails.
• Tortoise Rewilding Ecological replacement programme introducing Aldabra giant tortoises to restore lost seed dispersal and grazing functions, with GPS monitoring and phased releases to strengthen free-roaming populations at Ebony Forest and Vallée de L'Est.
• Rare Plant Conservation Propagation and reintroduction of threatened endemic plants through nurseries and field gene banks, focusing on species with fewer than 100 individuals remaining, supported by invasive species control and assisted seed dispersal.

Quantifiable outcome

• Restored 195 hectares across 3 forests with over 200,000 endemic plants
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• La Vanille Nature ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint collaboration on tortoise rewilding projects and lowland forest restoration. Tortoises are translocated from La Vanille to Ebony Forest and Vallée de L'Est. Also partnered on the Rivière des Anguilles watershed restoration initiative.
• National Parks & Conservation Service (NPCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for reptile conservation projects, implementing captive breeding and reintroduction programs for endangered geckos and skinks. Collaboration on population surveys and species assessments.
• Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting education packs for schools, forest planting and upkeep of 2 hectares of native forest, and printing of 4000 educational packs.
• University of MauritiusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration with Dr Vincent Florens providing expert input on native tree research.
• Bioculture LtdminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting conservation activities.
• Livestock Feed LtdminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting conservation activities.
• Mr BricolageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting conservation activities.
• Europcar MauritiusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing transportation support.
• Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for plant conservation initiatives.
• Mauritius Forestry ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for forest restoration, particularly for Fondation Franklinia-funded projects at multiple sites.

Scale indicators23 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Nature Seychelles: Nature Seychelles is a leading conservation NGO in the Western Indian Ocean, operating island restoration projects and environmental education programs. Comparable in mission, scale, and operating environment to Ebony Forest, but based in Seychelles rather than Mauritius.
• Seychelles Islands Foundation: Seychelles Islands Foundation manages UNESCO World Heritage sites (Aldabra, Vall\u00e9e de Mai) and conducts species conservation work including Aldabra giant tortoise monitoring. Highly comparable to Ebony Forest's tortoise rewilding work and Indian Ocean biodiversity focus, though operating in Seychelles with a public-sector governance model.

Others

• National Park Trust (Mauritius): Mauritius National Parks & Conservation Service (NPCS) is a government partner of Ebony Forest working on reptile conservation and protected area management. Comparable in conservation mandate but operates as a public agency rather than an NGO.

Emerging players

• Island Conservation: Island Conservation is a specialist NGO focused on invasive species removal and island ecosystem restoration globally. Comparable in methodology (predator control grids, invasive species management) but operates as an international technical NGO rather than a site-based visitor destination.

Broad incumbents

• Fauna & Flora International: Fauna & Flora International is a global conservation NGO with active island biodiversity and species recovery programs. Comparable in conservation mission and CEPF co-funding relationship but operates across dozens of countries with a far broader portfolio than Ebony Forest's Mauritius focus.
• Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust: Durrell is a globally recognized conservation NGO specializing in island species recovery and rewilding, with a training academy model. Comparable to Ebony Forest on training programs, captive breeding, and island restoration methodology, but operates at significantly larger scale across multiple geographies.
• Re:wild: Re:wild is a global species and habitat conservation organization protecting threatened species and their habitats. Comparable in conservation outcomes focus and global NGO status, but operates at much larger scale with broader geographic reach than Ebony Forest.

Direct peers

• Mauritian Wildlife Foundation: Mauritian Wildlife Foundation is the largest dedicated conservation NGO in Mauritius, working on endemic species recovery including Pink Pigeon, Mauritius Kestrel, and Echo Parakeet. Ebony Forest has recruited multiple senior staff from MWF, and both organizations operate in the same island conservation ecosystem with overlapping species programs.
• La Vanille Nature Park: La Vanille Nature Park is a Mauritian nature reserve and crocodile/tortoise park sharing the same co-directors as Ebony Forest. The two organizations collaborate directly on tortoise rewilding, lowland forest restoration, and the Rivi\u00e8re des Anguilles watershed initiative, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Biodiversity Conservation Madagascar: Biodiversity Conservation Madagascar (BCM) is co-directed by Owen Griffiths alongside Ebony Forest and operates conservation sites across Madagascar. Directly comparable in mission, governance, and operational model, with shared leadership making it the closest governance peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EbonyForestChamarel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ebony-forest-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/ebonyforestchamarel
• Xx.com/eforestofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ebony Forest