It’s October, and it’s time to celebrate lemurs! We hold the World Lemur Festival all October, and we can’t wait until World Lemur Day on October 27. We love seeing photos and artwork featuring lemurs shared around the world this time of year. And, it’s always fun to see people celebrating at zoos, planting trees in Madagascar, and wearing fun lemur costumes around the world. Check out our calendar to find an event.

This photo of a ring-tailed lemur is used in our website and marketing materials. We are so grateful to photographer Mathias Appel for donating his work to us.

1. Join our Lemur Art Challenge and inspire the world to love lemurs.

Learn how you can participate in our #LemurArtChallenge in this blog post. Each week in October, we will share a prompt to inspire your artwork. Every Sunday, we’ll randomly select one winner to receive an item from our shop! Once the month is over, consider sending one or more of your creations to the Lemur Conservation Network so we can auction them off at our next fundraising event.

2. Share your lemur photos with us.

Go through the photos you have taken of lemurs at zoos or in Madagascar, and send some to the Lemur Conservation Network. Give us permission to use them in our social media and on our website. We always give credit to photographers, and are so grateful for their support! 

4. Stock up on chocolate and vanilla from Madagascar.

Lots of chocolate comes from Madagascar, but Beyond Good takes it one step further by making their chocolate entirely in Madagascar, from bean to bar! This ensures that Malagasy people receive the most direct benefit from your purchase. Other chocolate companies who donate to projects in Madagascar include MIA Foodie and Zotter Chocolate.

3. Plan a fundraiser.

Talk to bars and restaurants near you to see if they’ll do a fun charity happy hour sometime this year. Some bars have weekly or monthly charity nights where they donate 10% of bar sales to a nonprofit. It can benefit the bar because you spread the word and bring your friends on a night that may usually be slow for them. The Lemur Conservation Network is happy to provide a letter verifying our 501c3 tax exempt status for businesses in the USA. Make the event extra fun by wearing lemur gear from our store or donning a lemur costume!

5. Get an early start on your Christmas shopping.

Browse the Lemur Conservation Network store and find fun gifts. With over 30 unique designs on tons of different products, you’re sure to find something your friends and family will love! Proceeds from our shop support our outreach and education work, and allow us to donate to small, Malagasy-led conservation initiatives. Or, visit Goodshop.com and browse over 7,000 merchants. Select Eden Reforestation Projects as your cause, and you’ll help Eden Projects plant trees in Madagascar and around the world!

Preparing a holiday wish list?

Let your friends and family know which items in the Lemur Conservation Network shop you have your eye on! Or, consider asking for donations to lemur conservation as your gift.  Donations can be made to the Lemur Conservation Network, or check out our members page to find member organizations by type of lemur, type of conservation work, and more.

6. Share your love of lemurs and other wildlife with the kids in your life.

Lemurs! card game from the Lemur Conservation Network

It’s imperative that our younger generations are inspired by nature and learn how important it is to protect it. Find fun teaching resources on our site, like coloring sheets, animated videos, interactive mapping projects, and more. Or, visit a zoo near you to say hello to the lemurs and learn more about them.  

Contact us to buy our Lemurs! card game to have tons of fun learning about lemurs with kids and adults of all ages! Our card game box includes 94 total cards — including 29 lemur species flashcards — and instructions for 6 games. Some games were adapted from the familiar — Memory, Go Fish, and Top Trumps — and some are unique for these cards!

7. Change your Internet browser’s default search engine to Ecosia, so your searches plant trees.

One of Ecosia’s planting partners is Eden Reforestation Projects, which has planted millions of trees in Madagascar and protects over 42,800 hectares of the island’s forest. One of the primary threats to lemurs in the wild is habitat loss and deforestation. So, reforestation work by Eden Projects and others is key to their survival. 

A coquerel’s sifaka in Ankarafantsika National Park in Madagascar. Photo: Lynne Venart.

8. Start planning a trip to Madagascar to see lemurs in the wild. 

This is a trip of a lifetime, and Madagascar is a place you will never forget! And, traveling to Madagascar to see lemurs in the wild is an adventurous way to support lemur conservation. Responsible ecotourism provides high-paying jobs for many Malagasy people, boosts Madagascar’s economy, and shows the financial value of protecting wildlife and their wild places.

Find resources to help you plan a trip to Madagascar.

9. Save $50 this month and donate it to save lemurs.

Skip that weekly lunch out, make your own coffee all month, or say no to that new cute top. Use that $50 to plant trees in Madagascar, support education for Malagasy kids, or protect the forests where silky sifakas live! Make a donation to the Lemur Conservation Network, or check out our members page to find conservation organizations by type of lemur, type of conservation work, and more. Choose an organization you like and make a donation!

A group of five adult ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) relaxing in the grass. Photo by Mathias Appel.

10. Become a Member of the Lemur Conservation Network!

And the final way to help lemurs this World Lemur Day is to become a member of the Lemur Conservation Network! Individual supporting memberships start as low as $50/year and come with fun benefits like sticker sheets, World Lemur Festival gear, and lemur books. Supporting memberships are also available to zoos and businesses.

Membership fees support our Malagasy outreach and help us support even more small, Malagasy-led conservation initiatives. These conservation initiatives are nominated by our Malagasy Student and Professional members. We know each nominated project is important, and this grassroots support is needed on the ground in Madagascar to ensure the future of lemurs!