Now that Ivory Coast is enjoying its first marine protected area, the seabed and sea creatures like turtles and stingrays have a chance to recover from human onslaught. And what better custodians of the sea than former poachers turned antipoaching rangers?

Sophie loves plants so much that she isn't averse to snipping a cutting or two from a public garden. Her interest in plants comes from her grandmother, who spent endless hours tending to her plants and even climbed trees at 95 years old!