Post by sianski
I read about this wonderful conservationist’s story some years ago. Thanks to ‘Interesting World’ for posting about him today. He is inspiration personified ⭐️☀️⭐️☀️⭐️
#savetheanimals
‘When Brendon Grimshaw, a British newspaper editor, was nearing 40, he made a choice few would dare: he left his job, bought a tiny uninhabited island in the Seychelles for just $13,000… and moved there permanently.
At the time, no human had set foot on that island for over 50 years.
But Brendon wasn’t interested in luxury — he was looking for purpose.
Like a true modern-day Robinson Crusoe, he found his own Friday — a local named René Lafortune. Together, they started restoring the island by hand.
🌳 They planted over 16,000 trees.
🚶♂️ They built nearly 5 km of trails.
🐢 They welcomed over 100 giant tortoises — most endangered elsewhere.
🕊️ They brought back 2,000 species of birds.
René visited occasionally. Brendon never left.
In 2007, René passed away. Brendon, then 81, continued his mission — now completely alone, surrounded by the wildlife he helped revive. Thanks to his efforts, this once-lost speck of land became a sanctuary, hosting two-thirds of all Seychelles' fauna.
And when a Saudi prince offered him $50 million for the island, he turned it down.
🗣️ “I don’t want it to become a playground for the rich. Let it be a national park — for everyone.”
💚 In 2008, Brendon’s dream came true: the island was declared a national park.
He bought an island, but gave the world a paradise.
A reminder that one life, when rooted in care, can change the destiny of an entire ecosystem.’
