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Archive | Southeast Madagascar

Ny Tanintsika

By on February 3, 2020

“Against Poverty, for Nature”

What is the purpose of Ny Tanintsika?

Ny Tanintsika works to empower communities to conserve lemurs through a multifaceted approach that builds local capacity, addresses livelihoods concerns and promotes stakeholder collaboration and communication.

Lemurs are crucial to Madagascar’s rich and thriving biodiversity. The decline in lemur populations and the rapid extinction of a number of species, due to habitat loss and hunting, is jeopardising this biodiversity.

Currently, a number of forest communities hunt and eat lemurs as a primary source of protein in their diet, or keep them as pets. Although protection legislation exists, it is not widely known, understood nor enforced. Habitat loss due to forest in-migration for ‘slash and burn’ agriculture, deforestation and logging is an equally crucial factor in this Project.

Which lemur species does Ny Tanintsika work with?

The Project targets lemur taxa that are categorized as being Critically Endangered, and in a listed action plan locality site – the COFAV. The Lemur Conservation Strategy lists the COFAV as being home to 21 lemur taxa of which 6 are critically endangered, 7 endangered, 4 vulnerable, 1 near threatened and 3 data deficient.

COFAV has the highest number of lemur species of any protected area in Madagascar – of which a disproportionate number are in elevated threat categories. However, scientific research on biodiversity has largely been limited to national parks.

Threatened Species Targeted:

  • Golden Bamboo Lemur (Hapalemur aureus): Critically Endangered C2a(i)

Other threatened species benefitting from the project:

  • Southern Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata ssp. editorum): Critically Endangered A2cd
  • Milne-Edward’s Sifaka (Propithecus edwardsi): Endangered A2cd+3cd+4cd
  • Gilbert’s Lesser Bamboo Lemur (Hapalemur griseus ssp. gilberti): Endangered B1ab(i,iii)

Where does Ny Tanintsika work?

The project area comprises 32,000 ha of the COFAV (which totals 314,186 ha) and includes the rainforest of 4 municipalities:

  • To the east: Ambolomadinika, Antodinga and Ankarimbelo (Ikongo district, Vatovavy Fitovinany region)
  • To the west: Ambohimahamasina (Ambalavao district, Haute Matsiatra region)
  • It focuses on the areas around the 3 main footpaths crossing the rainforest corridor east-west.
    Furthest point north: 21°54’23.60″S, 47°14’30.48″E, south: 22° 5’46.19″S, 47°10’57.89″E
    Furthest point east: 21°56’32.78″S, 47°20’48.98″E, west: 22° 4’37.24″S, 47° 9’42.82″E

How does Ny Tanintsika work for lemur conservation?

Ny Tanintsika empowers COFAV communities to conserve lemurs through a multifaceted approach: building local capacity, addressing livelihoods concerns, and promoting stakeholder collaboration and communication.

Empowering Local Communities through Data Collection and Lemur Monitoring

Whilst focusing on Hapalemur Aureus species, it will enable the gathering of data on all primates in the previously unresearched forests of Ambohimahamasina and three neighbouring areas. Data collection on lemurs will be conducted by local stakeholders, and forest inhabitants will become lemur monitors to ensure project sustainability.

Additionally, 12 signs encouraging lemur conservation will be erected along Ambohimahamasina’s 3 main forest footpaths crossing to the eastern side of the forest ‘corridor’.

Sustainable Agriculture and Reforestation

Support will be given to forest inhabitants to make their lifestyles more sustainable. Agricultural production on deforested land will be boosted through training on improved techniques, with 6 community tree nurseries operational to provide saplings for agroforestry, reforestation and forest restoration to meet both human and lemur needs. Numerous awareness-raising initiatives will be combined with promotion of alternative sources of income and protein, including small-scale fish-farming and chicken-rearing, and the capacity-building of Community Forest Management associations to reduce lemur poaching and habitat loss.

Project Objectives

By the end of the project:

  • 50% of forest dwellers will have lemur-friendly income generation activities and alternative sources of protein.
  • 60% reduction in Lemur hunting in target area of COFAV.
  • 45,000 endemic trees planted to meet lemur and human needs.
  • 10% boost in agricultural production on deforested land in the target area of COFAV.
  • 90% of people living in villages bordering the rainforest project area are aware of the uniqueness of local biodiversity and report an increased appreciation of lemurs by the end of the project.
  • 20% increase in secondary school enrollment for the northern project area zone for improved level of education for children who live in and near the rainforest.
  • No new human migration into the rainforest target zone, with the stabilisation of forest cover in the target area.
  • The capacity of 9 Community Forest Management associations is strengthened in management and governance, and particularly legislation.
  • Knowledge of lemurs in the project area covering 32,000 ha is improved.
  • Stakeholder collaboration and communication is improved through the piloting of a new approach and new technology to monitor forest cover in the Ambohimahamasina municipality.
  • Communities are empowered to take action toward securing land tenure around the target area.
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Halt Poverty Madagascar

By on November 27, 2017

Halt Poverty Madagascar takes action on one of Madagascar’s biggest issues — Poverty — through ecotourism.

Halt Poverty Madagascar empowers the people of Madagascar through sustainable development focused on eco-tourism.

Halt Poverty Madagascar was launched in November 2015 to empower human capital in tourism-based activities to address the clearing of local forests and the high rate of unemployment within the regions of Fianarantsoa: Amoron’i Mania, Ihorombe, Mahatsiatra Ambony, Vatovavy Fitovinany.

Empowering the community through training that improves the quality of Madagascar’s tourism workforce.

We hope to increase the number of skilled people involved in hospitality, tourism, and tour guiding to better align with international and sustainable standards. Our training is focused on improving language skills and tourism-related competencies so that people are brought out of poverty by work in tourism and therefore value sustainable environmental practices.

We achieve this goal through initiatives that:

  • Contribute to environmental protection through eco clubs.
  • Encourage local people to increase sustainable behavior in ways to tackle deforestation and keep their surrounding clean.
  • Use tourism to provide people with means of escaping the heavy dependence on threatened natural resources.

Education

Tour guides

Five modules were delivered to 20 participants in each of the five regions of Fianarantsoa. 92 people were trained and 89 were certified to become tour guides. We trained tour guides on cross-cultural communication, first-aid emergency, leadership, reporting, and delivering commentary on Madagascar and Malagasy life.

Eco-clubs

The organization launched eco-clubs where they created environmental campaigns through workshops, FM broadcast and online materials. They promote environmental education among residents to address unsustainable practices through activities like cleaning and greening practices.

Community Partnerships and Sustainability

Capacity Building Programs

Sustainable development aims to ensure that environmental and cultural treasures last for future generations. In less developed countries like Madagascar, the immediate concern of economic survival often requires urgent solutions which don’t take environmental sustainability into account.

Halt Poverty Madagascar is driven to provide tourism-based solutions that address environmental degradation and poverty. Our projects have seen the gradual acceptance of more sustainable practices as communities start to see the programs’ benefits.

 

Increased Knowledge and Understanding of Tourists

During internships, our projects train future tour guides on cross-cultural communication. Awareness of verbal and non-verbal communication among participants improved. Understanding the needs and interests of guests is a key component of our tour guide training.

 

 

 

 

Eco-clubs Adopt New Environmental Conservation Activities

The organizational structure of the eco clubs has become more stable compared to the time of the project’s debut, which shows a deep commitment from participants. Fianarantsoa, Manakara, and Ranomafana elected their own board of committee. The eco clubs are currently undertaking major organizational reforms to improve their productivity.

Donations

Online donations are accepted via Paypal. Please email haltpoverty@blueline.mg for more information.

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Protecting Life through Active Youth (PLAY Madagascar)

By on February 14, 2015

PLAY logo
PLAY harnesses the power of youth through innovative education projects in southeast Madagascar.

Supporting lemur conservation by engaging children in biodiversity protection

PLAY MadagascarPLAY (Protecting Life through Active Youth) is a new inclusive education project, working across disciplines to include communities in protecting the shared future for the children and lemurs. PLAY currently functions as an education outreach program under the auspices of the ICTE & Centre ValBio, and aims to increase the number of children who have access to their biodiversity and who can participate in creative opportunities to help define sustainable communities.

They undertake their approach through: 1) material design, 2) children’s networks, and 3) site-based developments. The organization is always looking for new ideas and volunteers; be sure to contact them for more information!

Partnering with local communities

PLAYPLAY is about building sustainable relationships with communities and conservation groups around the eastern rainforests of the Ranomafana National Park. Programs are made sustainable through the effective collaboration with regional site partners and looking forward, the organization hopes its programs will flourish over time and will support new and innovative community-based projects. Annual themes, driven by contextual priorities, will be used to support conservation sites and communities with new frameworks for each year; eventually, programs will be managed almost completely by local communities.

Conservation clubs and community gardens

PLAYLooking forward, PLAY plans to help increase the capacity for communities to manage their own conservation programs using network clubs and teacher-training programs, seasonal workshops, radio and newsletters. In addition – and with the help of Centre ValBio’s existing development resources in 130 communities – PLAY will be reviving a children’s gardens program, as a central base for conservation clubs. These gardens will also be an inspirational hub for additional creative outreach activities.

Exchanging ideas

PLAY Invitation illustrationTo help keep programs innovative and effective, teachers, children, and youth mentors will be brought together regularly, so that their community-based programs can continue to grow through reflection and exchanging ideas with other groups in the region. During these meetings, participants will also have the opportunity to learn about biodiversity in a hands-on way.

Biodiversity education

This spring, an artistic team in Madagascar is working on the first set of materials that will used to help introduce children to Madagascar’s natural wonders. This initiative was developed as a result of mentorship from Patricia Wright and Alison Jolly and informed by seven years of fieldwork in the area. In 2014, PLAY began to develop their creative curriculum design through site surveys, prototyping material ideas, and putting together a project team.

PLAY Ranomafana Childrens Programs Poster PLAY Map Mada sketch_19_j

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Conservation International

By on February 12, 2015

Conservation International Madagascar

Conservation International protects lemurs and Madagascar’s biodiversity by improving human wellbeing, capacity building, and on-the-ground programming.

Supporting lemur conservation at the international and national level since 1980.

Conservation International 10675574_742758362445343_5124538466504412962_nFor more than 25 years, Conservation International (CI) has been protecting nature for the benefit of human wellbeing. Thanks to the help of its 900 person staff, the organization now impacts communities in over 30 countries to help build a healthier, more prosperous, and more productive planet.

CI’s impact on lemur and environmental conservation in Madagascar is achieved through on-the-ground work and through research, publication, and grant-giving initiatives at the international level. CI has been working on a variety of programs in Madagascar since 1980 including biodiversity protection, environmental policy, and community programs. At the international level, CI’s Primate Action Fund—in partnership with the Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation—has contributed to global biodiversity conservation by providing strategically targeted, catalytic support for the conservation of endangered nonhuman primates and their natural habitats for over ten years. In addition, CI is well known for its role in publishing newsletters, journals, and books that aim to connect field researchers, conservationists, and captive-care professionals. Notably, CI was a key supporter and financier of the Lemur Action Plan; the document around which this website was built. Other CI publications include:

  • The Tropical Field Guide series, which includes Lemurs of Madagascar and various other pocket guides;
  • Primate Conservation, an open access scientific journal which publishes in-depth articles of interest to primate conservationists;
  • Dozens of articles, reports, and scientific manuscripts published by CI employees about their work in Madagascar and across sub-Saharan Africa more broadly.

In all of its work, some of CI’s largest impacts come from its ability to connect with the public about the need to conserve nature; most recently, the organization’s Nature is Speaking campaign resonated with tens of thousands of people across the globe. This amplification strategy helps communicate success stories to the public and to other organizations and helps motivate change not only in CI’s priority regions but across the world globally.

What lemur species does Conservation International protect?

Through the Primate Action Fund, CI has helped fund conservation programs for dozens of lemur species, including everything from basic research on the northern sportive lemur (which has less than 50 individuals left in the wild) to the impacts of cyclones on black-and-white-ruffed lemurs in eastern Malagasy rainforests. In addition, the organization’s work on the ground—such as in the Ankeniheny-Zahamena Corridor, which is one of the largest vestiges of dense rainforest in the country—has impacted well over thirty species. 

How is Conservation International protecting habitat for lemur conservation?

In addition to working on-the-ground in Madagascar, CI develops the tools needed by governments and NGOs around the world to combat habitat degradation. One example of this, is Firecast, which is a fully automated analysis and alert system that uses satellite image technology to provide real time updates about active fires and fire risks to users around the world. This technology has been used in Madagascar to analyze fire risk in the country’s national parks, and helps track where fires are most likely to occur and when.

Partnering with local communities

Conservation InternationalIn Madagascar, CI works closely with local communities to increase its impact by providing financial and technical support, building capacity, and supporting strategies of development towards a green economy. Financial support is provided both by headquarters – through the Primate Action Fund and via other initiatives – and by programs managed by country-level staff.

For example, the Node Small Grants Program awarded small subsidies to local communities in order to provide economic incentives for conservation programming. This enabled communities to undertake environmental conservation activities while improving local livelihoods. This programs funded 316 micro-projects benefiting over 7700 households in six sites around Madagascar through 11 partner organizations.

Conservation InternationalAs another example, CI’s Project Tokantrano Salama brought family planning services, access to drinking water, and sanitation services to areas in Madagascar with high biodiversity. Coupled with environmental education, this program aimed to decrease the impact on natural areas and to increase human wellbeing.

Finally, CI has worked—and continues to work—with local communities on a variety of eco-tourism projects. In the past, they helped build the capacity for communities to manage parcels of forest (100 to 2500 hectare) in eastern Madagascar. This project aimed to impact over 74,000 people in 23 towns along the Ankeniheny-Zahamena Corridor, a 384,000 ha forest that contains vast amounts of Madagascar’s biodiversity.

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WWF Madagascar

By on February 7, 2015

WWF The Panda logo

WWF Madagascar has been paving the way for lemur conservation in Madagascar for over half a century.

Supporting lemur conservation since 1964 with on-the-ground work in Madagascar

WWF Madagascar has been at the forefront of lemur conservation in Madagascar for over fifty years. Their first ever project involved setting up a small reserve dedicated to the protection and prosperity of the Aye-aye, leading to the creation of the Nosy Mangabe special reserve. Since then, lemurs have remained some the organization’s priority species at their project sites across the island.

What lemur species does WWF Madagascar protect?

WWF daubentonia madagascariensis

An Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis).

Over the years, WWF Madagascar has been key to the protection of many different lemur species. Nowadays – and alongside ongoing projects to protect numerous lemur species – WWF’s strategy (Fiscal years 2012 to 2016) identifies the Silky simpona (Propithecus candidus) as one of their flagship species for the Northern Forest Landscape, the largest remaining stand of humid forest in Madagascar. In 2011, WWF – in collaboration with Dr. Erik Patel (now at the Duke Lemur Center), and international expert on the Silky simpona – conducted a vulnerability analysis on this species; the first of its kind.

This groundbreaking research – which helps conservationists understand more about the different threats facing a species – was expanded in 2012 in collaboration with the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and again in 2014 with the help of GERP. This research now helps scientists and organizations better plan their conservation programs.

WWF Madagascar is currently performing fieldwork to collect vulnerability data and information on species viability. This project began in December 2014 and will be followed by updates of the Vulnerability Analysis (VA) until the end of 2017. The aim is to understand the factors that render the Silky simpona vulnerable in order to start implementing adapted management measures that will help the species to face future climate and non-climate pressures.

How is WWF Madagascar protecting habitat for lemur conservation?

WWF Verreuaxi Viktor Nikkiforov

Verreaux’s Sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi).

WWF has been, and continues to be involved in, the establishment and management of many protected areas across Madagascar, which serve to conserve and protect threatened habitats for many lemur species as well as a wide variety of other flora and fauna. In addition, WWF Madagascar carries out a range of actions in Madagascar aimed at protecting habitat. For example, in the Northern Forest Landscape, WWF trains and equips local communities to perform forest patrols. One of the functions of the patrols is to collect information on species locations and populations. Both the presence of the patrols and the data they collect are being used to combat poaching of lemurs and other animal species.

WWF are currently working on habitat protection issues across Madagascar in many sites, including: Marojejy, Kirindy Mitea, Tsimanampesotoe, Amoron’i Onilahy, Ankodida, Corridor Marojejy Tsaratanana, Anjanaharibe Sud, Nord Ifotaka, and Ranobe PK 32.

Influencing environmental policy to help lemurs

WWF Photo2_catégorie1_Ichiyama_ANTANANARIVOWWF Madagascar, and WWF as a whole, are able to raise awareness of the threats facing lemurs at the national and international level. An example of the positive impacts of their work include WWF’s debt-for-nature concept, which pioneered the idea that a nation’s debt could be bought in exchange for in-country conservation programming. WWF has used this program to generate over $50 million (USD) of funding in Madagascar for conservation from 1989 to 2008. In addition, WWF Madagascar was a key facilitator in the First International Conference on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in Madagascar; this meeting was the foundation of the National Environmental Action Plan that was later implemented in Madagascar in the 1980s.

Partnering with local communities

WWF puts local communities at the center of their conservation projects. Local communities that live closest to valuable, fragile lemur habitats are pivotal to the success of lemur conservation because they are the ones interacting with, living in and depending on the forests and species on a daily basis.

WWF Team_Anadapa(Halleux)

WWF Madagascar’s team working in Andapa.

WWF manages a wide array of social development programming; in the past, the organization has developing eco-tourism projects, designed public health programs, and even worked with the Malagasy government to create eco-labels for Malagasy shrimp which are traded on the international market through the shrimp aquaculture industry.

Local conservation management

In the Northern Forest Landscape, a green belt composed of 39 community-based managed areas is currently being established around the newly created protected area of COMATSA (245,000 ha). Each area managed by local communities first undergoes a zoning process and then local management plans are developed. As the Silky simpona is a flagship species for the entire area, activities related to its conservation and resilience building will be developed for the protected areas as well as for all the community-managed areas where the species is present.

Environmental education

Since 1987, WWF Madagascar has been growing its environmental education program, in collaboration with the Malagasy Ministry of Education. The program now has 515 student clubs across 46 districts in Madagascar and impacts over 50,000 students in the country. In addition, the program also prints the Vintsy Magazine – an environmentally focused publication – which has been in print for 64 issues.

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Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (American Friends of Durrell)

By on February 1, 2015

Durrell Conservation AFD

The American Friends of Durrell fund habitat protection and capacity building programs in Madagascar.

Supporting lemur conservation by supporting the work of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (DWCT)

Durrell Conservation Lee Durrell releasing ploughshare tortoises in 2011

Lee Durrell releasing ploughshare tortoises in 2011.

American Friends of Durrell promotes and supports the work of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (DWCT), a British wildlife charity established in 1963 by author and conservationist, Gerald Durrell. DWCT’s mission is to save species from extinction.

In Madagascar, the DWCT has been undertaking conservation actions for species and habitats since 1983. It has pioneered efforts for breeding and release-to-the wild of critically endangered species, for protecting vulnerable habitats and for enabling and empowering local communities to manage their natural environments sustainably. DWCT’s Madagascar Program employs approximately 30 people, mostly Malagasy nationals, and operates at eight sites. Lemurs are flagship species for two of the sites where the DWCT works: the Alaotran gentle lemur at Lac Alaotra and the black and white ruffed lemur at Manombo.

The American Friends of Durrell currently contribute to two of DWCT’s projects: (1) the Alison Jolly Madagascar Scholarship; and (2) the Madagascar Program Management and Coordination fund, which essentially covers the core costs of DWCT’s work in Madagascar. In the future, the American Friends of Durrell will likely increase their funding of the organization’s programs, especially as it relates to lemur conservation.

What lemurs does the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust protect?

Durrell Conservation Alaotran gentle lemurs

Alaotran gentle lemurs.

Lemurs are flagship species for two of the sites where the DWCT works: the Alaotran gentle lemur at Lac Alaotra (east Madagascar) and the black and white ruffed lemur at Manombo (southeast Madagascar).

How is the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust protecting habitat for lemur conservation?

Thanks to the help of the American Friends of Durrell, the DWCT in Madagascar has been able to achieve several landmark moments in lemur conservation. Notable successes include the establishment of a Ramsar Site for Lac Alaotra (east Madagascar) and a National Park at Baly Bay (west Madagascar).

Durrell Conservation Black and white ruffed lemur

Black-and-white ruffed lemur.

Partnering with local communities

DWCT pioneered its approach to partnering with local communities in the early 1990s on the project to save the ploughshare tortoise of Madagascar. It was inspired and led by the late Lala Jean Rakotoniaina, who became DWCT’s Community Conservation Coordinator and a Disney Conservation Hero. Now all of DWCT’s work in Madagascar – and elsewhere in the world – is modeled on this approach, with local communities participating in management actions and ultimately taking on decisions concerning their natural resources. The empowerment of local communities helps increase the sustainability of programming, and therefore the viability of species and target habitats.

Capacity building

The American Friends of Durrell fund the Alison Jolly Madagascar Scholarship. This scholarship allows a student to attend the post-graduate diploma course offered by DWCT at their Durrell Conservation Academy in Mauritius. The Durrell Conservation Academy has trained nearly 4,000 people from 139 countries in biodiversity conservation.

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Centre ValBio & the Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments

By on January 28, 2015

ICTE and Centre ValBio focus the world’s attention on Madagascar’s lemur crisis through targeted research, conservation, and capacity building.

Supporting lemur conservation by promoting world-class research, encouraging environmental conservation, and building local capacity

Centre Valbio Ewing People Outside (1)

The Centre ValBio – a cutting-edge research station in Madagascar.

The Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments (ICTE) was established by Dr. Patricia Wright in 1991 to encourage and promote scientific research, training and conservation in the tropics. ICTE – together with Stony Brook University – maintain a state-of-the-art research station, Centre ValBio, adjacent to Ranomafana National Park in eastern Madagascar. This research station hosts hundreds of researchers, students, and eco-tourists each year; it is truly the only facility of its kind in the country.

Centre ValBio (CVB) – founded in 2003 – helps both indigenous people and the international community better understand the value of conservation in Madagascar and around the world.

CVB’s mission has three main objectives:

  1. To promote world-class research in one of the world’s most biologically diverse and unique ecosystems;
  2. To encourage environmental conservation by developing ecologically sustainable economic development programs with local villages; and
  3. To provide the local villagers with the knowledge and tools to improve their quality of life through projects focused on sanitation, diet, and education, and ultimately reduce poverty in the area.

What lemur species do ICTE and the Centre Valbio protect?

Centre valbio wildlife

Wildlife in the Ranomafana National Park.

The work of ICTE/Centre Valbio places particular emphasis on the region surrounding the Ranomafana National Park, in eastern Madagascar. This park is host to several lemur species, including:

  • Aye aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis)
  • Brown mouse lemur (Microcebus rufus)
  • Eastern wooly lemur (Avahi laniger)
  • Golden bamboo lemur (Hapalemur aureus)
  • Greater bamboo lemur (Prolemur simus)
  • Milne-Edwards’ sifaka (Propithecus edwardsi)

It is important to note that long-term research programs are a big priority to ICTE, who trains scientists at all levels through field-based courses, collaborations, and academic exchanges. More than 400 scientific publications have directly resulted from work conducted in partnership with the Centre ValBio. In addition, the organization also conducts biodiversity research and ecological assessments of tropical ecosystems, and coordinates and catalogs the work of over 800 natural and social scientists!

Recent successes at CVB include the translocation of three Prolemur simus from a forest fragment to the national park, as well as the discovery of a thriving group in a nearby region!

Influencing environmental policy to help lemurs

The Ranomafana National Park – which protects 41,500 hectares of rainforest – was created with the help of Dr. Patricia Wright, the founder of ICTE and CVB. Since the creation of this park, the organization has continued to help bring attention to the plight of lemurs and biodiversity in Madagascar at the regional, national, and international level.

Partnering with local communities

Centre Valbio conservation programs

Centre ValBio’s conservation programs have also included reforestation and education initiatives.

One of the central missions of ICTE/CVB has been collaboration and partnerships with the local Malagasy community. CVB employs over 80 local Malagasy as guides and staff for the research station, and has opened up opportunities for work in the park and surrounding areas. In addition to providing sustainable employment, CVB organizes multiple outreach programs in the fields of education, the arts, sustainable agriculture, and reforestation.

Conservation outreach

Centre ValBio leads outreach and public awareness programs that highlight the unique biodiversity of Madagascar; most of this works is achieved through 15 conservation clubs spread across 22 villages that contain almost 500 members. They also use audiovisual and hands-on demonstrations to teach about biodiversity and reforestation in 19 local schools. Most recently, Centre ValBio and ICTE support a range of education initiatives in the Ranomafana region through the PLAY project.

Centre ValBio donates food to local community

Centre ValBio donates food to local community thanks to the help of an emergency fund.

Reforestation program

The Centre ValBio undertakes educational outreach aimed at teaching the value of trees, not just for animals, but for clean water and erosion control as well. Their reforestation initiatives have also targeted schools through their “from schools to the communities programs”, which has worked with 22 villages and 15 clubs on reforestation initiatives.

Health and hygiene

CVB works to improve the local communities’ nutritional conditions through education, implementation of infrastructure, and follow-up on improved sanitary practices. For example, CVB provides seeds and training for vegetable gardens to improve nutritional conditions in impoverished rural communities.

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SEED Madagascar

By on January 23, 2015

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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.

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:

  • Collared brown lemur (Eulemur collaris).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.

Fire at the project site.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

Conservation education with children.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.

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.
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