Volunteer Archives - Page 5 of 7 - Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership

One Year Later…

by MBPartnership on November 5, 2013 with No Comments

Blog from MBP Volunteer, Abby Photo courtesy of Abby Being back in Tana 1 year after arriving is slightly surreal… there’s so much everything I haven’t been able to access easily for so long, i.e. all sorts of foods. With a few days until I fly, I am very much at a halfway point between Kianjavato and home, with Kianjavato not so far (and still getting children scream “SALUT VASAHA” at me wherever … Read More

Raining Voapaka Seeds

by MBPartnership on September 19, 2013 with No Comments

Blog from MBP Reforestation Volunteer, Tessa Lalas, one of MBP’s core nursery team, cut off a piece of Voapaka root as we entered the primary forest of Vatovavy. It was a fairly narrow piece of root, no thicker than a pencil, and he asked me if I wanted a bite. “It makes you strong!” echoed Nivo and Andre, two other core nursery team members. Lalas laughed, and I figured extra strength could only help … Read More

The Taxi-Brousse Chorus

by MBPartnership on June 11, 2013 with No Comments

Blog by MBP Volunteer, Nina On one of our taxi brousse-rides back to KAFS from Mananjary (a coastal town about 2 hours from KAFS) early in March, Sara and I had some very unusual company for a good 45-minute stretch of the trip. The trip began as it usually does with the driver that we have befriended and always take because he used to work with one of MBP’s drivers. It’s a nice situation because … Read More

Life in Madagascar…

by MBPartnership on March 19, 2013 with No Comments

Blog from MBP Volunteer, Jack Anyone flying into Madagascar for the first time can expect to feel more than a little nervous. The excitement of planning your trip to the jungle and see the unique wildlife and endearing lemurs will by then have subsided only to be replaced by a sense of trepidation. What is this barren moonscape the plane is flying over? Not a single lemur or chameleon waving to greet me from its … Read More

Litchi Season is Here

by MBPartnership on January 31, 2013 with No Comments

Blog from MBP Volunteer, Nina Miasa mafy vao mikaly nama! Translation: Those who work hard will be fed, my friend! Litchi baskets stacked and ready to be filled next to the Ambolotara fokontany sign. A tree behind Ambolotara with many bright red, litchi masaka. Litchi season is in full swing, and no better time to see this popular Malagasy song’s phrase in action. The first signs of litchi season come even weeks … Read More

Adventures & Renovations in Madagascar

by MBPartnership on January 29, 2013 with No Comments

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 … Read More