Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
This project is run by a registered UK charity and Malagasy NGO that has been working on environmental, humanitarian and sustainable development projects in southeast Madagascar since 1995.
The project integrates research on endangered flora and fauna with community initiatives such as reforestation and environmental education. Combining direct conservation, working in and supporting local management of two legally-protected forest fragments (part of the protected areas of Madagascar system or SAPM), with a number of other complimentary initiatives, such as tree planting to provide rapid growth of farmed trees for firewood, promotion of economical stoves to reduce the workload of women and the amount of wood that the village consumes, research to provide data on the status of species and local biodiversity, specific work on the critical species, and community environmental education, building the understanding of the community about the complex habitats of which they are the stewards – this project holistically approaches the conservation of biodiversity.
Where possible and practical, we use only locally owned and operated suppliers and employ local people as guides to lead our groups of volunteers. We ensure that our suppliers are providing us with quality goods that have been sourced/ or grown locally wherever possible. Our local guides and staff are in full time employment with contracts, are treated as equals, paid a fair wage and not given an unreasonable workload.
We plan volunteer programs in a way which maximizes the opportunity to meet and work alongside local people, learn about the local culture and experience the local way of life. We teach our volunteers to speak the local dialect of the Malagasy language and provide orientation to present a balanced view of the country, the people, our work and local culture and traditions, religion, body language and eating habits before any volunteer visits the field.
We are aware that wherever we go we are having an impact on the environment. We endeavour to minimize this impact and engage in projects that not only make the environment sustainable but contribute to improving it. When visiting villages, group sizes are determined by what is appropriate to the area we are visiting and the job that we are doing. Use of motorised transport is kept to a minimum. We ask volunteers to use water sparingly and respect the needs of local people at water collection points. We ensure animals are never fed or touched unless to do so is part of an organised visit to a park or other managed environment. We provide water to refill plastic bottles and we separate our waste for re-use or composting.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
