Important aspects of effective conservation projects are Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning. Knowledge gained helps formulate future projects, and it becomes even more valuable when it is shared.
At the end of February our Country Director in Madagascar, Maholy Ravaloharimanitra, was offered the opportunity to visit a workshop hosted by Association Vahatra, a connection made available through the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF). Association Vahatra is a Malagasy Association with a focus on the advancement of national conservation biologists and research on the island’s biota.
Credit: Maholy Ravaloharimanitra
Following her trip Maholy has shared her experience here:
‘I was invited by Association Vahatra to attend an exchange workshop together with 29 other people from 22 institutions. It took place on Thursday 27th February, and unlike most workshops where people sit and listen to talks, it took place in Ambohitantely, where Association Vahatra has one of their field research stations and where they are running ecological restoration projects.
Credit: Maholy Ravaloharimanitra
Association Vahatra invited people from different institutions who are working on either conservation or restoration or both. This is the third group they have hosted at a field workshop, and we were all representatives of organisations who had received funding support from CEPF.
What made this trip particularly interesting for me is the way that we discovered the remaining patch of forest from the highland, at the same time as learning about how they are conducting their restoration; managing and coordinating the production of seedlings so that species collected are representative of the species present in the forest; ensuring that they are available throughout the year; and ensuring the field is prepared in time to receive when they can be transplanted.
I would like to express my thanks to Association Vahatra for this opportunity to learn about how they are conducting their ecological restoration. It was so much more interesting for me to see the work being done in the field rather than learning about the project via a presentation.’
Science, by definition, is the careful study of the structure and behaviour of the physical world, especially by watching, measuring, and doing experiments, and the development of theories to describe the results of these activities (Cambridge Dictionary). Forest restoration is an important element of most of our conservation projects in Madagascar and understanding the best processes, as confirmed through scientific research, gives us valuable insight into the most efficient ways we can utilise our limited resources.
Our world is constantly evolving and whether you believe the current variations in our climate are driven by human activities or not there can be little doubt that we have entered a phase of heightened change. As a result, there has never been a better time to share knowledge on critical mitigation measures such as the restoration of our forests. Madagascar has an important role to play in this endeavour, both for the protection of its rich and unique biodiversity, but also on a global scale.