Blog – Page 17 of 23 – Lemur Conservation Network

Overhead view of a slash-and-burn fire raging across Madagascar's forests

Madagascar is Burning: Meet the Conservation Heroes Working to Bring the Forests Back

By Corey Romberg on January 5, 2016

If you picture the landscape of Madagascar, what images first come to mind? Never-ending rainforests? A paradise unspoiled? These images may be the Madagascar that once was, but it is not the Madagascar of today. While there are many national parks and reserves with those lush rainforests you may picture, a lot of the island’s original forests have been cleared. Today, Madagascar is often a country on fire. Much of this deforestation is from slash-and-burn agriculture, from both large commercial […]

On the Ground in Madagascar with Jen Tinsman

By Kim Reuter on December 22, 2015

When did you first get interested in working with lemurs and conservation and what motivated you to undertake this work? I stumbled into lemur research by accident. I’d gotten a grant from the Biology Department to study social behavior and I was supposed to do research on tree swallows but that opportunity fell through, so I was nervously drifting around the department, trying to come up with a new project. Then Alison Jolly came and gave a talk to […]

The crowd at the concert among beautiful forested hills

Centre ValBio Interns Venture to Kianjavato to See Singer Khelen in Concert

By Lynne Venart on December 15, 2015

A Weekend Adventure to See One of Mada’s Top Singers A few of the volunteers and researchers at Centre ValBio took a weekend trip to Kianjavato to see Khelen in concert. Khelen is one of the most popular singers in Madagascar at the moment and… she happened to be hosted by Aina, a friend of one of the researchers. As luck would have it, we could also stay at the same house as Khelen and entourage were going to leave the […]

Ash Dykes Reaches Mid-Way Point of Madagascar Expedition

By Lynne Venart on December 8, 2015

I caught up with Ash Dykes recently to celebrate his amazing feat of reaching the mid-way point of his Madagascar expedition. He’s trekked 800 miles from the southern most tip of Madagascar to the capital city of Antananarivo in the Central Highlands. The first 800 miles have been quite the challenge. He has survived the deadliest strain of malaria, visited three organizations from the Lemur Conservation Network, summitted five of Madagascar’s highest peaks, and had a ton of crazy adventures. Below are some […]

Carnival at the 2015 World Lemur Festival in Antananarivo. Photo: Mikajy Natiora.

2015 World Lemur Festival Wrap-Up

By Corey Romberg on December 1, 2015

After months of lead up, the second annual World Lemur Festival arrived from October 29-31. The event’s aim was to raise awareness for lemur conservation, celebrate lemurs and Madagascar, and educate the public about why it’s important to protect them and their habitats in Madagascar. By all accounts, not only did this year’s events go above and beyond in fulfilling this mission, but the festival was even more successful and featured even more events than the first festival a year ago. […]

A collared brown lemur found in the forests where both Azafady and Sainte Luce Reserve work. Photo courtesy of Azafady.

On the Ground in Madagascar with Sam Roberts

By Kim Reuter on November 17, 2015

When did you first get interested in working with lemurs and conservation and what motivated you to undertake this work? Lemurs are a fascinating group of primates, and I suppose have been lurking in my subconscious since my early encounters with them both at Zoo’s and, like so many people, on early David Attenborough BBC television programs. Besides from their now obvious and seemingly ineluctable conservation needs, they possess a certain ethereal quiddity which made them difficult for me […]

Putting trees back where they once were: Reforestation at Centre ValBio

By Lynne Venart on November 10, 2015

Reforestation is a Mainstay of Centre ValBio Reforestation at Centre ValBio has been a mainstay of the field station since its founding. Working with landowners in the periphery of the park, Centre ValBio has established reforestation plots on private land as well as a demonstration agroforestry plot which has vanilla vines growing on native trees for support. Using Trees Native to the Region The reforestation program only uses trees which are native to the region, the seeds for which are gathered from […]

Copyright Nannye Hasinjara Randriamanantsaina.

On the Ground in Madagascar with Nannye Hasinjara Randriamanantsaina

By Kim Reuter on November 3, 2015

When did you first get interested in working with lemurs and conservation and what motivated you to undertake this work? Having grown up in rural Madagascar, I always loved being close to the nature. When I entered University, I opted for the Biology Department, just to keep that link with nature. This is also when I learned more about lemurs and became more and more passionate for their conservation. When I was a child, my parents kept nine dwarf lemurs and […]