Merveilleuses Mangroves de Guyane, the French adaptation of the Mangrove Action Project’s Marvellous Mangroves program, was launched as a collaborative effort between MAP, the Mangrove Education Project (MEP), and Guyana-based organisation Koté Forêt. Spearheaded by Martin Keeley (MAP/MEP) and Lucille Dudoignon (Koté Forêt), the project began in early 2018 and received initial funding from the Lush Charity Pot. Its foundation was the Dutch-language version developed in neighbouring Suriname—a country with a closely related mangrove ecosystem—requiring only translation and minimal adaptation.

French Guiana’s mangroves are shaped by the massive flow of Amazonian sediment, making them distinct from most global mangrove systems. Covering over 50,000 hectares, around 80% of the country’s coastline, these coastal forests are rich in biodiversity and vital for local resilience. The curriculum reflects this uniqueness with activities that help students understand sedimentation processes and water quality issues through hands-on classroom demonstrations.