Ary Saina

By Lucía Rodríguez on September 18, 2020

What We Do

Ary Saina is a group of Malagasy conservation biologists promoting scientific research and knowledge for the conservation of Madagascar’s unique but imperiled biodiversity.

Ary Saina was founded in 2017 with the following objectives:

Promote and facilitate scientific research in Madagascar
Contribute to the capacity building of Malagasy in science
Conduct scientific research to enhance biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of natural resources in Madagascar

: Ranomafana National Park by Onja Razafindratsima

: Ihofa forest by Nancia Raoelinjanakolona

Ary Saina Study Sites by Angelo Andrianiaina

How We Protect Lemurs And Other Wildlife

We lead and participate in several projects related to lemur conservation in Madagascar. Most of our members conduct research on lemur biology and ecology to help conserve lemurs in their natural sites.

The socio-economic development activities we plan to implement to improve livelihoods aim to reduce threats on lemur habitat.

What Lemur Species We Protect

Current projects are conducted in two rainforest sites: (1) in the eastern fragmented forest of Ihofa with a focus on an assemblage of different species lemurs, including the critically threatened indri (Indri indri) and black and white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata); and (2) in the southeastern forest of Ranomafana National Park with a focus on both large-bodied diurnal lemurs like the red-bellied lemur (Eulemur rubriventer) and small-bodied nocturnal lemurs like the brown mouse lemur (Microcebus rufus).

: Indri indri by Finaritra Randimbiarison

: Microcebus rufus by Vero Ramananjato

: Black and white ruffed lemur in Madagascar. Photo: Onja Razafindratsima.

How We Support Local Communities

Our current focus is in supporting the local communities living near Ihofa forest in Andasibe. We implement socio-economic development activities to improve their livelihoods. We are in need of funding to support the building of an elementary school in the area. We currently teach children local to our field sites (who often have no opportunity to attend school, with the closest being 8 hours walk away) skills such as writing and counting. We also deliver skills training to empower Malagasy scientists to build a career.

MAHERY at Harvard University

By Kim Reuter on January 20, 2015

Harvard University

About Madagascar Health and Environmental Research (MAHERY) at Harvard

There are no greater global concerns than the disappearance and destruction of our planet’s ecosystems and wildlife and the improvement of human health and food security for vulnerable human populations around the world.

Since 2004, our team has been actively researching the intersection of environmental health and human health to understand the ways in which ecosystem transformation has downstream effects on human wellbeing.

Most of our work has centered on estimating the role of bushmeat hunting in both decimating local wildlife populations (lemurs, carnivores, bats, tenrecs, etc.) and also influencing human nutrition and food security. All of our work has always been driven by and embedded in local communities to understand the psychology around illegal wildlife harvesting and to develop a paired vision for future conservation and development.

MAHERY has focused much of its efforts on the following bodies of research:

the impact of overhunting and terrestrial wildlife declines on food security and nutrition
the impact of fisheries management and marine conservation on food security and nutrition
the use of traditional medicines by local people
the practice of pica and geophagy
barriers to accessing healthcare and adequate nutrition
the role of livestock husbandry in securing adequate nutrition
the role of wildlife hunting and consumption in zoonotic disease transmission
the disease ecology of various infectious diseases (i.e. malaria)

In each of these research activities, we have collaborated with local organizations and trained American and Malagasy students to understand how to carry out interdisciplinary research.