Blog from MBP Volunteer, Sara

After a wonderful Christmas spent on the west coast of Madagascar, we volunteers have once more returned to KAFS and to our work with the lemurs! I am, as always, so happy to see our furry friends again as well as our Malagasy friends and co-workers. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed their vacation. I’ve been told that the P.Simus team have had another new baby over Christmas, which is really exciting to hear.

Early in January, Edward Louis, the Director of Conservation Genetics from the Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, arrived in Madagascar and with him came a LOT of changes and renovation plans for KAFS. KAFS is now under construction full time. We are in the process of building a new kitchen with cement floors, new ovens, stoves, sinks, as well as solar panels and lighting fixtures. We are even getting a shipment of actual tables and chairs to sit and eat at! There will also be new showers built, as well as showers for each tent site. An addition will be added to the main building at KAFS and a couple more tree nurseries will be built. By the time all of the renovations are completed, KAFS will look completely different! I’m excited to see the changes that will occur and to help out any way I can. I am mostly excited for everyone here to benefit from these new luxuries and to see how much the locals will enjoy what we will have to offer here.

Lastly, I want say that the rainy season is officially underway!!!! Every day it rains here for a minimum of 4 hours, often longer, and it’s hard to keep anything dry. Luckily though, it seems to mostly rain only in the late afternoon/evenings so that helps to keep working in the rainforest enjoyable. I am continuously impressed by the sheer volume of rain that can fall from the sky every day… it just never ends! I am interested to see what a cyclone will be like… I’m sure I will find out soon enough!

Till next time, the adventures and renovations continue here in Madagascar!

– Sara