SEED Madagascar

By Kim Reuter on January 23, 2015

SEED Madagascar alleviates poverty and protects biodiversity through a multi-pronged approach including research, capacity building, and development.

Supporting lemur conservation through research and targeted social development

Azafady Conservation Programme team.

SEED Madagascar’s mission is to alleviate poverty and conserve the unique, biologically rich, and greatly endangered forest environments in southeast Madagascar. They empower the region’s poorest people to establish sustainable livelihoods for themselves and improve their well being.

SEED Madagascar’s Conservation Program implements a broad range of lemur projects that conserve the lemur community of Sainte Luce and ensure their long-term survival within their natural habitat.

What lemur species does SEED Madagascar protect?

SEED Madagascar’s research programs protects several lemur species including:

Mouse lemurs (Microcebus sp.)
Cheirogaleus medius (Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur)
Brown lemurs (Eulemur collaris)
Southern woolly lemurs (Avahi meridionalis)

Conservation in Sainte Luce is essential.

Conducting Research to Preserve Saint Luce Habitat

The littoral forests of Sainte Luce have been declared a conservation priority within a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot, making conservation here essential. Additionally, this habitat has been earmarked for future mining projects which may threaten the lemur populations. SEED Madagascar has been researching the lemur populations restricted to the littoral forest fragments of Sainte Luce since 2007.

Their research estimates the population densities of the impacted species and calculates whether remaining habitats will be enough to support these populations. SEED Madagascar plans to publish these findings along with suggestions for long-term lemur conservation in the area. This research will include achievable targets for conserving the existing lemur populations, and will outline plans for relocating and supplementing isolated groups.

Mouse Lemur Research

Alongside these population and viability assessments, SEED Madagascar also plans to investigate the true identity of the mouse lemur (Microcebus) species found in Sainte Luce’s forest fragments, after the recent discovery of the regional endemic Microcebus tanosi. It is plausible that this species also exists within the Sainte Luce region, but given its cryptic nature it may have been previously confused with other Microcebus species. Verifying the true identity of the Microcebus spp and the distributional boundaries of individual species is crucial in furthering scientific knowledge of local species.

Brown Lemur Research

SEED Madagascar has also been studying the Brown Lemur (Eulemur collaris) for the past five years, compiling a significant data set of the behaviors displayed in different troops across various forest fragment sizes with varying levels of human disturbance. This research will help inform conservation management planning about the potential loss of plant species that form an integral part of the brown lemurs’ diet.

Partnering with local communities

SEED Madagascar involves communities at every stage of project development, implementation, and evaluation. This makes their projects more sustainable and promotes local ownership.

The SEED Madagascar Conservation Programme has had a permanent base in the community of Sainte Luce (southeast Madagascar) for more than five years. Through this relationship, SEED Madagascar draws on the knowledge of the community and uses guides trained by the forest management committee. In return, the programme provides training in ecology, conservation and the English language for local Malagasy, and runs a highly successful Saturday conservation club. Additionally, this volunteer program brings tourists (and the associated income and awareness) to the village.

Conservation education with children.

Capacity building

In order for conservation to be truly sustainable, it needs to be led and implemented by the local community, rather than an outside organization. With this in mind, SEED Madagascar has provided 18 months of training to four youths from the community, who are now able to speak English and are knowledgeable about the importance of native forests and wildlife, and the need to actively conserve them. SEED Madagascar hopes that these individuals will go on to transfer their passion and pride for the forests and their fauna to the rest of the community, who will then do their best to protect them.

Cultural exchange

Research by SEED Madagascar is conducted by a dedicated team of Malagasy and international staff, with volunteer Research Assistants completing a large portion of research. The highly successful SEED Madagascar volunteer program also welcomes participants from around the world, who make a valuable contribution to data collection over a period of 2-10 weeks. Finally, SEED Madagascar supports international graduate students in their goals to undertake research in Madagascar.

Community health

For over 15 years, SEED Madagascar has been working the improve public health in southeast Madagascar. Their current projects that aim to:

improve sanitation and latrine use in Fort Dauphin;
increase maternal and child health;
support water security and livelihoods programs; and
increase access to family planning materials.

Sainte Luce Reserve and Association FILANA

By Kim Reuter on January 20, 2015

The Sainte Luce Reserve protects forests and biodiversity in southeast Madagascar to save endangered lemur populations.

Supporting lemur conservation through habitat protection and ecotourism

The Sainte Luce Reserve, managed locally by the FILANA Association, protects local biodiversity using habitat protection while developing and enhancing ecotourism attractions, promoting environmental education, and improving the well being of the local population. The Sainte Luce Reserve – and the forest that it protects – has been declared as one of the last, and most intact, sections of coastal forest in southeastern Madagascar.

Although the reserve has been historically open only to conservation volunteers and researchers, it has recently begun to open itself to the public. Visitors – a maximum of four people at a time – can visit the reserve for overnight stays; perhaps one of the most unique opportunities to witness wildlife in Madagascar.

Learn about Volunteering at Sainte Luce

What lemur species does the Sainte Luce Reserve protect?

The Sainte Luce Reserve contains five different species of lemurs, some of which the organization actively habituats for researchers and monitors. The species of lemur include:

Collared brown lemur (Eulemur collaris)
Fat-tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius)
Greater dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus major)
Mouse lemur (Microcebus sp.)
Southern woolly lemur (Avahi meridionalis)

Research is key to many of the reserve’s goals and the reserve has hosted over two dozen scientists and volunteers over the past few years. In addition, they have worked with local primatologists to compile species lists of the avifauna and reptiles local to the area. This information is critical for ongoing research and conservation efforts.

How does the Sainte Luce Reserve protect habitat for lemur conservation?

The Sainte Luce Reserve protects some of the very last parts of coastal forest in southeast Madagascar. The reserve protects some of the most critically endangered micro-habitat in the country and this includes several endangered palm species, Dypsis saintelucei and Beccariophoenix madagascariensis. In 2010, the reserve began a reforestation program that succeeded in planting 2,200 individuals of D. sainteluci and 800 individuals of B. madagascariensis. Given that the total known populations of the two species in the wild are, respectively, approximately 300 and 900 individuals, this was a massively positive step towards their conservation.

Partnering with local communities

Lemurs at the Sainte Luce Reserve

The Sainte Luce Reserve was established after discussion with the Sainte Luce community at a village meeting, attended by hundreds of local people. As such – and from the start of the reserve – key members of the local community have been included such as locally elected officials, representatives of women’s groups, fishing associations, and other local stakeholders. In addition, the management committee of the reserve includes the President of the COBA (community of natural resources management committee), the village chief, a gender issues specialist, and others. The organization’s aims, are clear in their purpose to support local people and they endeavor to find innovative ways for local people to sustainably benefit from conservation of the natural environment.

The reserve also continues to contribute to local environmental initiatives and platforms. In 2015, they plan to present their two-year plan to the Association MIARO (a local conservation platform in Sainte Luce) for inclusion into their Community Environmental Action Plan.

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