The island of Madagascar is a fantastically rich reservoir of species and ecosystems found nowhere else on earth. And Tsingy de Namoroka National Park, in the northwestern corner of the country, boasts biodiversity that is remarkable even for Madagascar. The park includes semi-dry deciduous forests, seasonal wetlands, grassland and savanna, and limestone karst (tsingy) formations with extensive cave networks. At least 10 lemur species live there, including two that are critically endangered, which means they have an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. The area also has 21 bat species. There is a broad variety of birds, reptiles, and amphibians, including a critically endangered chameleon. More than two-thirds of the plant species are endemic to Madagascar, and 15 are only known from the immediate area.
Human activity threatens all of this. Poverty is severe, and education is scanty, leaving many people to make a subsistence living from slash-and-burn farming. That increases the danger of wildfires, one of the most significant threats to dry forest ecosystems. Because the area is so far from major towns, there are few tourists and little enforcement of environmental regulations.
The villagers of Vilanandro, who live next to the national park, know that their livelihoods depend on healthy forests. They will actively conserve 2,461 acres of the park, monitoring access points and reporting illegal logging, hunting, charcoal production, and encroachment of farms. They will also maintain firebreaks.
The village will use a Seacology grant to rebuild two of the primary school’s three buildings, which were destroyed by a cyclone. The school serves about 350 students with only five teachers, and urgently needs more space. The new buildings will be built to withstand cyclones, which have become more powerful. They will also have bathrooms, a significant boost to public health in remote Madagascar.
Our nonprofit project partner is Wildlife Madagascar, which helps farmers improve agricultural and forestry practices, with an eye to both conservation and livelihoods. They also support a community nursery and garden in the village, take kids on field trips into the park, and promote World Lemur Day.
