How did your projects begin in Madagascar? In 1987, Andrea and I went to Madagascar to do a brief study to see how we could help rehabilitate the Parc Ivoloina. At the time, Madagascar was opening up to Western Countries and the Duke Lemur Center was finally able to bring back lemurs to reinforce the species we already had and to work with new ones like the Aye Aye. The Water and Forest Department, the permitting agency and our […]
My first week at Centre ValBio was spent getting acquainted with the trail system which I would later map using a GPS unit. I followed the team studying sifakas which consists of three experienced Malagasy field technicians, George Rene, Raleso and Remi, together with an American intern Katie and a Malagasy masters student Tahiry. We spent the week at trails in Talatakely and Vohiparara at Ranomafana National Park. We would leave at 7.30 AM in the morning with a […]
The Importance of Conservation Education As a conservation educator, I am a strong believer in the power of education to influence behavior and attitude changes, and I have seen the results first hand. Innovative and engaging conservation education is key to inspiring conservation action. As famed conservationist Baba Dioum once said, “We will only conserve what we love, we will only love what we understand, and we will only understand what we are taught.” Zoos provide the unique opportunity […]
In the last post, we examined what makes coquerel’s sifakas so special and what threats they face in the wild. But since Madagascar is such an incredibly diverse and remarkable place, I’d like to focus this post on Madagascar itself. I could bore you with an essay-like description of the fourth largest island in the world (after Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo) and its collection of flora and fauna (nearly all endemic to the island). But I’ll try to keep […]
“Salama!” One of the first words I learned from a friend who learned that I was about to visit her home country, Madagascar. It is a greeting that I’ve used over and over again. My name is Sabrina Szeto. This is my first time in Madagascar, and I am here for a summer internship at Centre ValBio, a conservation organization and research station located in Ranomafana, Fianarantsoa. Over the next few weeks, I will be writing several blogs about my […]
About the Mikea Forest Region and Ranobe The Mikea forest region is home to eight species of lemurs – the highest diversity of lemurs of any forest in the Southwest region of Madagascar. However, the southern stretch of Mikea forest, known as P(oint ) K(ilometer) -32 Ranobe (the spring/oasis) has considerably more vertebrate species than either of the Southwest’s National Parks – Mikea and Tsimanampetsotsa – or the special reserve of Beza Mahafaly. Yet, despite its incredible ecological traits, as home to some of […]
For myself the name ‘Ranomafana’ has always conjured mystical images of abrupt hills, drifting mist, dense forest and hidden lemurs. It us a must-see for any nature lover heading to Madagascar. Although my group tour didn’t allow for long within its lush confines, it at least gave me a chance to glimpse some of the island’s most rare wildlife. The omens were positive. Within a few hours of arriving in Antananarivo, I had an incredibly lucky encounter with Doctor […]
At just 24 years old, British explorer Ash Dykes already has plenty of extreme and noteworthy adventures under his belt. He thrives on “challenging and off the beaten track adventures and expeditions” that bring him to the far corners of the world, with extreme tests to his endurance and stamina. His adventures often bring him to the middle of dangerous weather conditions, like sandstorms, harsh winters, and scorching heat in the middle of the driest deserts. In 2014, Ash walked 1,500 miles across […]
