An astounding 90% of Madagascar’s plant and animal species live nowhere else on earth. But extreme poverty drives deforestation and wildlife poaching across the country.

This project will reforest 74 acres (30 hectares) of abandoned pastureland with native tree species, helping to create a 371-acre (150-hectare) forest corridor. The corridor will connect two of Madagascar’s most important protected forests, which contain spectacular old-growth rainforest. The forests are home to many endangered bird, reptile, and amphibian species. Twelve species of lemurs, many of which are endangered or critically endangered, are also found there.

Forest corridors are an effective way to reunite wildlife populations that have become isolated by human activities. Corridors help stabilize the populations, making them more likely to survive threats such as poaching, habitat loss, and climate change.

We are working with a community of about 1,300 subsistence farmers and gatherers who live near the national park. A Malagasy business owner bought and renamed the land the village sits on, with the idea of promoting reforestation. The community is enthusiastic and hopes that healthy forests and wildlife populations will encourage tourism.

Our partner organization, MDI, does conservation, wildlife research, and community work. Much of the grant will go to buy seedlings (from a nonprofit nursery) and pay people to plant them. The rest of the grant will go toward building a free health clinic for women and infants. The community urgently needs medical care; the nearest hospital is an hour-and-a-half walk away.