Restore Habitats + Monitor Lemurs

Participate in two very important conservation efforts: habitat restoration and lemur monitoring.  During a 12-week tenure, volunteer cohorts will split their time in half, spending 5 weeks with one of two lemur monitoring programs and 5 weeks with the community-based reforestation effort. Additionally, there would be a week where volunteers would need to train with the other team, and about a week in the capital city upon arrival or before departure.

Habitat Restoration

Spend five-weeks contributing to a reforestation program designed to reconnect fragmented forests over a mountainous terrain. This effort will ultimately provide animal habitat and benefits the local community through the establishment of sustainable food and lumber enterprise. The ultimate goal of the reforestation program is to establish corridors between forest fragments and restore ecosystem services.

Project Overview

  • Working at the primary field station and at the multiple tree nurseries; assist in collecting seeds within an established forest; or organize the preparations at a field site for a community planting event
  • Activities will include sorting compost, placing seedlings into growing bags, organizing the tree inventory, transplanting trees with the local community groups or school children
  • Collect various scientific data such as seedling germination and growth rates per tree species, the number of seedlings cultivated and planted, record GPS points for each plant site, measurement of growth and survival rates for transplanted trees
  • Assist with the development of water collection methods and other sustainable resource practices

Lemur Monitoring

Spend five-weeks in the mountainous terrain of the Kianjavato-Vatovavy landscape following the social groups of two Critically-Endangered lemur species:  the greater bamboo lemurs (Prolemur simus ) or the black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata ) The long-term goal of this project is to offer wildlife protection and provide a future for these endemic lemurs.

 

Project Overview

  • Gather and record important information through observation and monitoring Critically Endangered lemur species
  • Activities will include recording diet, home range, and social interaction observations 
  • Your contributions will offer wildlife protection while gathering information on habitat usage, population dynamics, and territorial range, all of which will guide habitat management
  • Diet evaluations will be assessed based on the data collected 
  • The information collected provides us with the solutions needed in order to approach these real-world issues

 

Is our Volunteer Program right for you?

2024 Volunteer Cohort Schedule

Start date
End date
Max duration (days)
Arrival range*
Departure range*
01/16/202404/11/202486Jan 16-18Apr 9-11^
03/19/202406/13/202486Mar 19-21Jun 11-13
05/21/202408/08/202479May 21-23Aug 6-8
07/23/202410/17/202486Jul 23-25Oct 15-17
09/24/202412/19/202486Sep 24-26Dec 17-19

 

Application Process

1. Complete the inquiry form (below) and send with your curriculum vitae to volunteerinfo@madagascarpartnership.org
2. In response to your email, we will send you a copy of the volunteer handbook and schedule an online interview
3. During our online interview, we will discuss more details of the program and answer any questions you may have
4. If you appear to be a good fit, you will receive an email from us containing your acceptance and an invoice for your program fees
5. Pay deposit to guarantee your spot
6. Complete your travel checklist
7. Explore new horizons and give back to the world!

Inquiry Form

 

Our Volunteers Have Joined Us From All Over the World