Do you care about saving the world’s rain forests? What about lemurs – do you like lemurs? Would you like to do something about climate change? If, yes, please join the volunteer program with Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (OHDZA) and the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership (MBP)! We’re looking for highly motivated volunteers to join our on-going reforestation program in southeastern Madagascar. This area is home to nine lemur species, several of which are critically endangered. Habitat loss threatens the remaining yet unprotected forest fragments, but you can help. We work with local communities to reconnect and expand natural habitats over the mountainous terrain around Kianjavato while sustainably benefiting the 12,000 area residents.
The reforestation team consists of rotating OHDZA employees, Malagasy MBP field assistants and graduate students, along with numerous nursery managers and field assistants from the local community. On this team, you’ll have a dynamic daily work routine; you may be working at the primary field station or at the multiple tree nurseries; you could be collecting seeds within an established forest; or at a field site preparing for a community planting event. Duties may include sorting compost, placing seedlings into growing bags, organizing the tree inventory, transplanting trees with the local community groups or school children. The ultimate goal of the reforestation program is to plant one million trees as a means to establish corridors between forest fragments and restore ecosystem services. In order reach this substantial goal, there is a need for streamlining the reforestation effort – from seed collection, germination, and transplantation – and this is where the volunteers can make a significant and lasting contribution to the project.
For a more details, please visit the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership at:
http://madagascarpartnership.org/home/volunteer_program2
Leave a Reply