 Directed on 30 July 1824 to keep a diary of his experiences, he developed a catalog of the garden's species, and left Senegal in 1825.In January 1831 Richard became second director of the Jardin du Roy (now the Jardin de l'État) in the Île Bourbon (now Réunion), succeeding Nicolas Bréon.Under his leadership the garden achieved its golden age.