oloNala

What We Do

oloNala seeks to incorporate and embrace artistic expression as a means of communicating, relating to, and inspiring action towards Madagascar’s conservation challenges. Their programs include art-based environmental education, community-led conservation, and the creation of Madagascar’s first environmentally-focused artist residency program.

How We Protect Lemurs and Other Wildlife

Our work is based in Ranomafana, Madagascar — home to rainforests that boast incredible floral and faunal diversity. With 14 species of lemurs, over a hundred species of birds, reptiles, and amphibians, nearly 1,000 plant species, and countless unique insect species, it is the perfect place to gather inspiration and promote environmental stewardship.

We collaborate with Malagasy teachers & students, community members, and artists who see the value of art in educating and creating a shared and culturally relevant narrative around the importance of preserving biodiversity. As charismatic creatures and our distant primate cousins, lemurs in particular are a natural source of curiosity and muse for artists, young and old alike.

Through blending art, environmental education, and sustainable development initiatives like ecotourism, we support local, Malagasy-led lemur conservation projects and initiatives, while raising awareness of these projects with a global audience.

Together with teachers at the Ranomafana Nature Center, we’ve incorporated nature journaling into their ongoing environmental education programs. The students are provided with art supplies and journaling prompts in Malagasy, with which they’ll be able to collect observations, make drawings, and ask questions about the natural world. Then, they’ll be able to showcase their work amongst their peers and the community!

What Lemur Species We Protect

Our work in the region surrounding Ranomafana National Park helps build appreciation for and awareness of many lemur species, including the:

• Aye aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis)
• Red-fronted brown lemur (Eulemur rufifrons)
• Red-bellied lemur (Eulemur rubriventer)
• 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)
• Black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata)
• Grey bamboo lemur (Hapalemur griseus)

How We Support Local Communities

Art-Based Environmental Education

oloNala integrates art with environmental education to foster long-lasting environmental stewardship, inspire creative and innovative solutions to environmental issues, and connect students with nature in meaningful and personal ways. We’ve teamed up with local educators and nature guides in Ranomafana to give students the opportunity to immerse themselves in nature, study concepts in environmental science, ecology, climate science, and conservation, and create art inspired by the natural world.

Community-Led Conservation

VOI Mitsinjo, a grassroots community group based in Ranomafana, has managed approximately 440 hectares of forest adjacent to Ranomafana National Park since 2020. oloNala supports VOI Mitsinjo in expanding their forest restoration, ecotourism, and sustainable development activities by following a “community buy-in” model: The VOI is in charge of the planning, implementation, and management of their conservation initiatives, and we provide the materials, training, and support for them to bring their vision to life.

VOIs, like VOI Mitsinjo in Ranomafana, are a way to give agency back to the people whose life depends on the rainforest. Like Madagascar’s national parks system, VOI-managed forests are valuable hotspots for tourism, but when people visit the VOI, the money goes directly back into the community. This provides a real incentive for the community to protect the forest and restore degraded habitats.

oloNala Artist Residency

Wander through any town in Madagascar and you will very quickly notice that artisanship, artwork, and creativity abound, often drawing on cultural and environmental themes. For many aspiring Malagasy artists, however, not having the time, financial means, or space and materials to practice their craft can often limit them in pursuing art as a viable career.

The oloNala Artist Residency program aims to tackle just that — but with an emphasis on addressing Madagascar’s most pressing environmental issues at the same time.

The oloNala Art Residency aims to bring together Malagasy artists from diverse backgrounds to foster collaboration and share perspectives on environmental issues and solutions through art. Artists will be given the space to learn new skills, develop their artistic interests, broaden their understanding of the environment and its relation to art, and create new works that they might have otherwise not had the time, space, or materials to do.

With the help of a global network of artists, conservationists, and researchers, we prepare Malagasy artists interested in using their artwork for conservation to work alongside NGOs, research centers, and communities, as well as help them become self-sustaining and grow their artistry and confidence.