SEED Madagascar Conservation Research Programme Volunteer

Name: SEED Madagascar Conservation Research Programme Volunteer
Brand: SEED Madagascar
SKU: 17592
Rating: 4.96 (25 reviews)

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Location

Madagascar
- Fort Dauphin

Length

2 to 8 weeks

Industry

Biology Conservation and Preservation Education Environmental Studies Sustainable Development Wildlife Sciences

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Program Details

Compensation

Unpaid

Timeframe

Year Round

Language

English

Pricing

Price Details

From £795 plus expenses.

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals Wifi

What's Not Included

Airfare Domestic Airfare Travel Insurance Visa

Last Updated: Jan 17, 2024

Last Reviewed: Jun 14, 2018

Wish List

45 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

The SEED Conservation Research Programme (SCRP) is based in the beautiful coastal region of Sainte Luce, surrounded by rare and threatened fragments of littoral (coastal) forest. The programme works to integrate scientific research with community conservation, where you will combine hands-on conservation fieldwork on endangered species including lemurs, reptiles and amphibians, with environmental education. Sainte Luce is one of only three significant area of this forest type remaining in Madagascar, having been reduced by over 90%.

The SEED Madagascar Conservation Research Programme is offered as a volunteering experience for everyone. We encourage anyone with a passion for conservation and the environment to apply, and dive into a different experience. It's a chance to gain hands-on conservation skills, while undertaking the adventure of a lifetime.

For information about project dates, please visit our website.

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Program Reviews

4.96 Rating

based on 25 reviews

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Rating Spread Intern

5 rating 96%
4 rating 4%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Growth 4.7
Support 4.95
Fun 4.6
Housing 4.55
Safety 4.8

Showing 9 - 16 of 25 reviews

Theres lots of stories & lots of memories! The people & scenery are fantastic, as is the wildlife. I should also point out that I am a little older than the usual volunteer (43) so if you are older, I would still recommend this. I will be going back anyway!

If you have a morbid fear of spiders, you're going to struggle as there are a lot! However, I was amazed at how beautiful spiders can be.

There were a couple of highlights though - walking back after a night transect towards the end of my stay, I still hadn't seen the infamous mouse lemur when about 100 yds from camp, I spotted the tel tale glow of eyes caught in my torch light & it slowly dawned on me that they weren't the wooly or dwarf ones we had been seeing on every night transect but much smaller. I initially thought that there were a few there then I realised that it was just one but moving VERY quickly! Good job he was quick really as we also spotted a snake in the tree trying to follow him! A few days later, Tsiriky or Hoobie came into camp & said that they had found a mouse lemur nest too which wasn't far away.

Then another day, we were out looking for seeds (for a reforestation project) when we spotted a tiny little iridescent gold frog sitting on one of the plants we were picking seeds from. none of the guides recognised it & so we took it back to camp for DNA testing (waiting for results)

One day the collared lemurs came through camp while I was chilling in the hammock. There must have been around 10 of them & one female came right down the branch to within 3 feet of me & hung there staring at me for a few minutes
Learning how to pin butterflies was pretty cool too

Then there was...

(apologies, I can't get any photos to upload for some reason, though I have loads!)

The most interesting about my stay, I found to see on how many ways you can do biological research. I have learnt a lot of it, it is not in my field of interest, but I think really important to understand how you can find out about the biodiversity. I found the azafady as organisation really respectful to the villagers and I had the idea we were going along with each other really well. Things we were doing, where birth spotting, pit traps, butterfly catching, PCQ and many more. I found it really special to live in a really basic place next to some small villages. Being really busy in the nature, every day walking and doing research. I was interesting to work together with all sorts of people of different background, different fields of interests and different countries. We had a antropologist, biologist, medicin and geogologist.

What would you improve about this program?

I think in some way we lost a little bit the big line, why are we doing all this biological research? The reason is to conserve the forest. I think there are many more ways to conserve it, like more teaching to the villagers and birth planning. But also the most important think for me was to get the villagers less poor, so how can you do that hand in hand? You should give maybe more education, and also education about hygiene, healthy diet and diseases, more free health care and some way that they can get more work or money, by tourist coming to the forest, or more plantations or maybe even the mine company can give more work and better infrastructure. But who knows it keeps really difficult to help poorer country's.

During my short stay at the Azafady camp and St Luce, I was treated to some incredible nature, a wide variety of activities, a brilliant social scene (football, cards and a few beers every now and then) and most importantly, genuine conservation opportunities that are really going towards helping the community and the wildlife.

The local community are very friendly and are pleased to have conservation workers there. Local understanding of the importance of conservation was obvious throughout the community and many members of the community now work for Azafady in order to help.

What would you improve about this program?

Better food! The simple food was very much part of the experience however rice and beans every day did get a little dull!

This programme offered me a truly unique experience and has to be up there with one of my most enjoyable trips. The work I was involved with was incredibly interesting, rewarding but most of all thought provoking. The staff, volunteers and particularly the locals created a great environment to live and work in. I hope I get the opportunity to go back!

Madagascar is a very special place with many unique forms of life which are found nowhere else. It has been a great experience and a privilege for me to take part in Azafady's conservation programme in Sainte-Luce, to get to see and research some of the island's amazing wildlife. Of the many special moments I had, my favourite was seeing the brown lemurs on a moonlit night leap through the treetops.

You stay on the edge of St Luce, a small village in the rural SE of Madagascar. Tents are centered on a wooden long-house where meals are eaten and the hanging-out is done between trips in to the forest.

These forest trips range from half-hour bird surveys to a couple of hours following lemurs or conducting Herp surveys - all very informative and good fun. All in the most amazing forest surroundings with the ever-present chance of seeing something incredible.

All of the Azadafy staff, whether domestic or international, were very friendly and the organisation's relationship with the local community in St Luce make for a uniquely integrated experience.

The Azafady literature makes the food in the bush seem intimidating but it's actually fantastic, the cooks do a great job.

All-told, my only regret is that I didn't stay for longer. Although I highly recommend that you also leave time to travel the country after your volunteering is over. The guys in camp will give you some great advice.

Whether you are looking to gain valuable field experience to beef up your resume, or are just looking for a vacation off the beaten track, the Azafady Conservation Programme is for you! As an experienced field biologist I was looking for an experience that would allow me to both return to the field, as well as give something back to the local community. Having never traveled to Africa before, I was a little nervous about the trip in general, but Azafady was always quick to answer my numerous questions before my arrival, and ensured I was taken care of upon arrival in Tana (even though it was after midnight). I rented a tent from the organization, which withheld TERRIBLE rains in St. Luce. If you've ever lived in the field, the camp is what you would expect at a location with no power- bucket showers, latrine, cookhouse and a nice communal longhouse. Electronics can be charged for a nominal price. Daily schedule involves performing biological fieldwork sampling the many different species that Azafady is working so hard to preserve (lemurs, herps etc). You would never see many of these endemic animals as a tourist (as many are nocturnal and located off the beaten track). ALL the people that run the program are friendly, helpful, kind and genuine. This is truly one of the safest and most amazing ways to experience Madagascar- coming from someone that has worked in many forests around the world.

What would you improve about this program?

More information as to how I can help after returning home, other than sending funds.

My 4 weeks with the Azafady Conservation Programme were just amazing! The research into the wildlife of Ste. Luce was fascinating and will hopefully help protect the amazing endemic species found there. Watching lemur behaviour and finding chameleons and geckos by night will definitely stay with me for the rest of my life! The programme also allowed me to interact with the local community by teaching the children about the forest and English lessons. So much fun and the community is so wonderful, always smiling and laughing! That is definitely one of the reasons I find Azafady fantastic, as they combine conservation and community work. I would definitely recommend Azafady to anybody wanting an experience of a lifetime!!!

What would you improve about this program?

There seems to be a slight lack of communication between the London Office and the Malagasy Office, so I didn't receive completely correct information before I left. But once in-country this was cleared up and things ran smoothly.

Questions & Answers

Do you need to be able to speak French or Malagasy to do this program?

Hi! No, we don't require our volunteers to speak Malagasy or French to take part in our programmes, although either would be beneficial! Our teams on the ground will speak English with volunteers, and there will be some language lessons during your orientation sessions. We encourage volunteers to learn some Malagasy greetings but do not expect anyone to know the language fluently.

By Bella Armstrong on May 21, 2018

What kind of conservation are you all focused on?

Reforestation, environmental education and biodiversity research.

By Evelyn Ereme on August 9, 2017

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

woman hiking in rainforest

Highlights: I think my favorite experience was walking along the transects (paths cut through the forest for scientific purposes) with my team, looking for lemurs at night, to record their distribution in the fragments. We found them by eyeshine. The light from our headlamps bounced off their large eyes. Their eyes, the only part of them that was visible, gave off a distinctive, beautiful amber glow that was pure magic. You could tell the species by the size of their eyes: mouse lemurs had tiny eyes and were hardest to spot. Fat-tailed dwarf lemurs were middle-sized, and wooly lemurs had the largest. All were quick to move. The guides identified the tree species they sat in, we measured the distance to the tree from the transect and circumference of the tree, and noted it all on our data sheet. We all worked together, quickly assessing which tree and how high up they were as well. It was an amazing feeling to spot lemurs for the group. One night I spotted eight. I was on top of the world.

The warmth, generosity and incredible resilience of the Malagasy people was a huge part of my experience as a whole. Their country is beautiful. They are beautiful. It's hard to generalize, but I think part of the attitude of the Malagasy could be summed up by the Malagasy word "Alefa!" Which could be roughly translated as "Come on!" Whether calling the truck spotter to jump back on the camion (Alefa!) that took us along impossibly bumpy and pitted roads from the city to the village, or entreating wallflowers to dance (Alefa!) at our village music gatherings, the word conveyed a rich enthusiasm for life, and energy, and watching out for other people. (Alefa! Alefa!)

Morning: I'd wake up in my tent to the sound of roosters and my travel alarm. I'd greet my fellow ACP volunteers in the longhouse and we'd share a breakfast of rice, mofo (sweet bread balls that tasted like chewy donuts), bananas, and sometimes banana bread and mandarins. We'd pick our chosen task for the day: herps (surveying frogs, lizards and snakes in forest fragment S8 or S9), lemurs (surveying brown-collared lemurs or observing the behavior of a group), beccariophoenix (surveying endangered palms), and on some days, teaching children environmental education, and when the village women requested it, building a fuel-efficient stove. Usually, I'd pour my chlorinated water out of the 50-liter jerry can, put on mosquito repellent, and head out along the dirt paths to the forest with my group and Azafady guides. We'd spend several hours out in the fragments, stepping over branches, under vines, through swamps, in pursuit of our elusive wildlife.

Afternoon: After a filling and restorative lunch of rice and beans, and maybe doing dishes duty, I'd swap tales with the other volunteers of the lemur count, which rare chameleons we had spotted. I might be working with some of them on a lesson plan for the following day, for the kids. Trying to think how to explain groups of plants, or the important aspects of biodiversity, and write a fun story related to it. I might help enter some of the data from the survey into the camp's one computer, whose battery was charged some distance away by a generator. The Malagasy guides might pull us aside for our weekly language lesson. I might also work on flyers for the upcoming World Environment Day awareness event. Later I might play a game of cards with some of the volunteers, go get water from the well to take a bucket shower, or wash my clothes.

Evening: Before the dusk got too deep, I'd dive into my tent and find my headlamp. I'd join the others for a hearty dinner which was usually pasta or rice and another staple like squash, stewed vegetables, zebu (a type of cattle), or fish. I'd reapply repellent and sometimes prepare for a night hike, when you could count all the nocturnal lemurs and herps. If we weren't out surveying or having a fun night hike as a treat led by one of the guides, sometimes we'd play more cards, do some more data entry or event prep, chat, listen to the music of some of the camp musicians, or just retire to our tents for a peaceful sleep. I'd often watch the frog that made the spot between my tent and rainfly its temporary home. With my headlamp, I could see its tiny feet padding around as it too settled in for the night.

Johanna Fornberg

2013 Alum

James Tomlinson

Frankie Hornby

Ani Quigley

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Sam Hyde Roberts

Program

SEED Madagascar Conservation Research Programme Volunteer

Job Title

Executive Director of Azafady Conservation Program

Sam is an aspiring evolutionary ecologist and conservation biologist with a broad range of taxonomic interests. After graduating with degrees in both Zoology and Ecology Sam soon moved from the cold of North Wales to the tropics in pursuit of his passions - wildlife conservation and biodiversity. Sam has since travelled, lived and worked in some of the remotest and most spectacular places on Earth, spending the past few years managing conservation projects in Madagascar. Having worked with a diverse range of wild animals, including Lemurs, Bats, Snakes and Dolphins - Sam has a special passion for Amphibian and Lepidopteron diversity.

What position do you hold at Azafady? What has been your career path so far?

I have recently vacated the position of conservation coordinator at Azafady, a position I genuinely loved. However I have now taken up a slightly different role to any that I have held before, as a conservation consultant helping to support the field research team, direct the research agenda and help with grant proposals. I graduated from Bangor University in 2009 and have been working in conservation ever since. I first started out as a volunteer, working with a few conservation charities in Wales and around Europe, and gradually gained field experience whilst putting the skills I learnt at University into practice. I was lucky enough to work under and alongside some hugely inspiring individuals along the way and always consider myself very fortunate to do the work I do. In the field of conservation there is always a sense of pressure to get things done, with a seemingly growing list of threats to wildlife and the environment, I very rarely get near completing my daily to do lists!

What is your favorite volunteer abroad memory?

I remember very clearly one night in the middle of a forest in Aggtelek National Park, we had been invited to the home of a Professor, who is an expert in the field of European butterflies and moths. After a walk of an hour or so through forest we arrived at the house, the gabel end lit up with incandescent bulbs specifically designed to attract moths and other insects. I was staggered by the sheer abundance and diversity of moths, the air was thick with an unbelievable variety of species. This really triggered a passion in me. At the time I was reading a book authored by E.O. Wilson - The Diversity of Life and combined that was that! Only twice since have I seen moths in such numbers and such abundance as that. Once in Ranomafana NP in Madagascar and once in a remote forest in southwestern Costa Rica. They are very rare and special nights!

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What does the future hold for Azafady - any exciting new programs to share?

Extremely exciting!! I do not really want to reveal our recent findings here, but we have some astounding findings which have been thrown up through our recent genetic work. We have been working on some majorly important conservation projects over the past 14 months and we are hoping that our latest findings will strengthen our case to protect several ecologically valuable forest fragments, which are presently under threat from mining exploitation.

What about the future of the industry? How do you think volunteer abroad and international education will change over the next 10 years?

This is a very challenging question. Unfortunately from a conservation perspective, volunteer programs naturally seek remote and beautiful locations, however the effects of human disturbance are detrimental to sensitive wildlife communities. With an ever-increasing number of people looking to volunteer abroad, and more and more organizations - it is now up to the industry to ensure good practices are enforced and that projects do not negatively impact on the country and environment they are situated in. I would strongly advise any potential volunteers to thoroughly research the organization they sign up with, read external reviews and canvas opinion from past volunteers. There is now a huge selection of volunteering opportunities available, and there are a highly variable range of principles and business models behind the companies who run them. Research is essential before signing your up for a volunteer abroad experience.

Which volunteer abroad destination is most underrated? Conversely, which is most overrated?

I am afraid I couldn't answer this question as I haven't been to enough places!! :)

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

The right support is vital. I have been exceptionally lucky working with Azafady, as the support they have given me has been exceptional, both from a personal and professional perspective. Having worked with myriad organizations over the years, I believe that there is a huge difference between the various organizations and the work that they do and opportunities they provide. I think the thing that really sets Azafady apart is their commitment and trust in their staff, and the backing and help they provide.

What country have you always wanted to visit?

Very contrasting climates but both Greenland and Guyana have always attracted me. Greenland for wilderness, isolation and beauty, and Guyana for biodiversity!

What's your favorite ethnic dish?

Again, I am torn between Welsh rarebit and Zebu Brochette's with sakai!

Why is language learning and cultural immersion important to you?

The expertise you miss without having members of the local communities involved on your project and working closely with you are irreplaceable. Having a connection to the local community and environment is essential if a project is to be truly successful, and only through committed community education and support can any conservation initiative be long lasting. Good communication is key to this, and language learning and understanding the culture you are in is essential.

What was your favorite traveling experience?

This is another tough question! There have been so many but I am always most excited about the next trip!

What language have you always wanted to learn and why?

My French has greatly improved over the years spent in Madagascar, and I hope to become fluent one day. I think it is a beautiful language, and a full cognizance would open up a whole new region of the world for me. Also, there is a great deal of important and useful literature that I am currently missing! For example, a lot of the great and historic butterfly studies conducted in Madagascar are in amazingly illustrated old French books and presently there are no modern texts. These hundred year old books are still the best sources of information available!

What unique qualities does your company possess?

An unshaking commitment to a single region and its communities. All of Azafady's resources and considerable efforts are directly focused into improving and safeguarding some of the poorest and isolated communities and environments on Earth. Through a holistic approach, Azafady are committed to safeguarding and providing genuine sustainability and development to an area with outstanding yet highly threatened biological wealth.

About SEED Madagascar

SEED Madagascar is an award-winning UK registered charity and Malagasy NGO dedicated to supporting the people and ecosystems of Madagascar, one of the most biologically rich but economically poor countries in the world. Our approach is one of co-operation and participation with grassroots communities working to alleviate the effects of poverty and...