In this update, we would like to look back at the first six months of our project in Andriantantely, which started in mid-January this year and has been made possible thanks to the support of IUCN Save Our Species.
Local Rangers on Patrol © The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar
Patrol Activities
25 local people have been recruited and trained as rangers to carry out weekly patrols. Each week throughout the project, the rangers will conduct both ecological/monitoring patrols to assess the lemur populations and the status of the habitat, as well as anti-poaching/habitat destruction patrols to stop and deter illegal practices.
The data collected on the lemur populations represents the number of animals observed, and will fluctuate from month to month depending on factors such as weather conditions and temperature, but it helps us build a picture of the lemur population over the course of time. A census from October to December (newborn season) will be used to determine the actual population size of each species. However, during the first 6 months, the team have identified a new group of greater bamboo lemur, composed of five individuals, in the heart of the forest in the western part of Andriantantely.
They have also recorded 11 different types of threats occurring in the area, the most prevalent of which is illegal gold mining. Thanks to the work carried out by the rangers, snare cords used to hunt lemurs have been destroyed, mining equipment has been confiscated and individuals arrested, and unauthorised seasonal housing has been destroyed.
Patrols have taken action to stop illegal mining © The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar
Forest Restoration
As we mentioned in our June update, forest restoration activities are an important part of this project, and 8 tree nurseries have been established. During their patrols in the forest, the rangers collect tree seeds and young seedlings that have germinated too close to existing plants. These are then cultivated by members of the local communities in the tree nurseries. Once they have become more established, the saplings are transplanted into degraded areas of the forest. During the first six months of the project, over 3,500 seeds have been collected and sown, together with just under 10,000 seedlings. In addition, 8 hectares of degraded habitat have been restored by transplanting approximately 7,988 native saplings grown in the tree nurseries.
Another aspect of forest restoration is the removal of invasive species. These are often non-native plants that have been introduced to Madagascar for various reasons, for example, they might provide a food source, be used for ornamental purposes, or be used as firewood. Due to their invasive nature, they now threaten native ecosystems by outcompeting endemic species and impacting water resources. As part of this project, teams of local people are involved in the removal of invasive species threatening the forest and the bamboo thickets. By the end of the first 6 months, local people had cleared approximately 2 hectares of affected land, and the area was replanted with 450 bamboo plants, helping to restore the bamboo thickets, which provide a vital food source for bamboo lemurs.
Non-native invasive plants are being cut down and dug out by hand © The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar
Community Development
Meetings have been held at all the participating villages to discuss the proposed activities for community development. Two main areas are a school programme and a training programme for community members in sustainable climate-smart agriculture. During the first 6 months of the project, the emphasis has been on engaging with the communities and ensuring both programmes are collaborative and beneficial to the local people involved. Discussions with teachers at several schools were well received, and our team helped community members to choose the land to be allocated for agroforestry, which will be the focus of the agricultural training. In future updates, we will bring you further news as the programmes progress.
Our team have visited all the participating communities, such as this trip to Mangabe, to discuss project activities © The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar
Renewal of Management Contracts for Local Community Associations
A vital component of managing the natural resources in rural areas of Madagascar is the presence of local community associations or VOIs. The authority for VOIs to act, and the rules for each community, are established through Transfer of Management contracts. The contracts must be regularly renewed, and a key objective of this project is to support the renewal of contracts for 5 of the VOI that have responsibility for communities in the area. This is a lengthy procedure involving representatives from government agencies, and each VOI is at a different stage of readiness to make the required application. Our team will work alongside the VOI committees to support them as they work through the assessment and zoning process, and meetings have been held with each of the VOI and the communities concerned to prepare for the work that will need to be undertaken.
Our team regularly attend community meetings © The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar
Conclusion
Looking back at the first few months of the project, we are delighted at the progress in patrol and forest restoration activities. We are also pleased with the positive responses from the communities to the programmes for schools and agricultural training. However, our team recognises that the local level leadership skills required to effectively manage VOI responsibilities require strong and skilled associations and, as is evident at the start of this project, VOI committees can vary in their abilities. This is something that will be taken into account as the project continues to develop.
We will share other updates with you in the future, but for now, as always, we would like to end by saying again that we are grateful to IUCN for their support.
IUCN Save Our Species aims to improve the long-term survival prospects of threatened species. It also focuses on supporting the species' habitats and working with the communities that share this habitat. It achieves success by funding and coordinating conservation projects into multiple initiatives across the globe.