The Aspinall Foundation Blog

CAZ West Project Updates August 2025

Written by The Aspinall Foundation | 20-Aug-2025 11:02:52

Working with schoolchildren from rural communities is an important component of our work in Madagascar. Our multi-year project in CAZ West, made possible thanks to the support of The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), is no exception. As we previously reported in our project updates, activities include training teachers to provide Environmental Education and working with children and teachers to create school market gardens using climate-smart agricultural techniques. 


School Garden at Mahavelona © The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar

School Trip

In July, a five-day educational school trip was arranged for 20 children from two of the schools, EPP Mahavelona. and EC Andranomena. They were accompanied by five of their teachers, a team from local NGO Fanambinantsoa, with whom we are collaborating to provide the training, representatives from The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar and one of the VOI executives. Three locations were chosen for the trip, with activities that link directly to the training undertaken as part of our project, and all providing valuable insights based on their commitment to the principles of the circular economy and conservation.

Rian'Ako 

Located in Ambohitrabiby, the Rian'Ako site is a leisure and training centre focusing on biodiversity and forest ecosystems. The visit to this centre offered experiences in the scientific aspect of the environment, such as in-depth observation of local flora and fauna, as well as the development and sustainable management of resources. 

Field activities at Rian'Ako included:
•    Observing the biotic (plants, animals) and abiotic (water, soil, air) components of the site. 
•    Identifying various soil textures, for example, predominantly sand or clay, and how they relate to fertility.
•    Observing the interactions between environmental components, such as water (streams, ponds) and vegetation. 

Analysing the relationship between an aquatic plant and its pond © The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar 

•    Identifying renewable (plants, water) and non-renewable (minerals) resources on the site, and making a list of observed resources, such as medicinal plants or water sources.
•    Identifying and collecting samples of aromatic plants (e.g. mint, lemongrass) to discuss their uses (culinary, medicinal)
•    Observing agroecological practices, such as crop association (for example: corn and beans planted together). 


Analysing the role of invertebrates and plant associations in a vegetable garden © The Aspinall Foundation, Madagascar

•      Observing a composting site and analysing the materials used (organic waste, leaves). 


Teachers taking note of compost production processes © The Aspinall Foundation, Madagascar

•    Observing food transformation processes, such as making fruit paste or "fintsa" from local produce. 
•    Observing food preservation methods (e.g. drying, salting) and discussing techniques for avoiding waste.

All of these field activities allowed teachers and students to witness the best practice practical application of the skills included in their studies so far.

Akany Avoko  

Located in Ambohidratrimo, Akany Avoko is a rehabilitation centre for vulnerable people (abandoned children and single mothers). It promotes the circular economy and self-sufficiency. The visit to this site provided an ideal opportunity to illustrate the recycling and waste recovery processes. Participants were able to observe concrete applications of the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle.  

Field activities at Akany Avoko included:

•    An animation exercise to help students to strengthen group cohesion with a focus on gender inclusivity during classroom decision-making.


Participating in an animation activity © The Aspinall Foundation, Madagascar

•    Following a presentation of the activities undertaken at the site, the students were shown how biogas can be produced from waste matter.
•    This was followed by a visit to the handicraft store and showroom, where products are made exclusively from recycled materials.


Showing how to use waste materials for works of art © The Aspinall Foundation, Madagascar

•    The final activity was the observation and active participation of students and teachers in an ecological charcoal-making workshop. Charcoal is the main cooking fuel for rural communities and traditional methods result in significant loss of forest.

Ecological charcoal-making workshop © The Aspinall Foundation, Madagascar

Tsaratanàna eco-village

The final site, also located in Ambohidratrimo, was an eco-village that showcases sustainable housing and agroecological practices. 

Following an overview of the ecological practices adopted by the village, several activities were undertaken including:

•    The system used by the village for sorting waste, with bins for waste that can be used as recycling material and bins for decomposable waste to be used for compost.
•    A demonstration of the different storage devices used for rainwater.


Learning about rainwater harvesting © The Aspinall Foundation, Madagascar

•    Organic farming techniques, including plot layout, maintenance and the use of organic fertilisers, to achieve sustainable production.


Observing innovative vegetable planting methods © The Aspinall Foundation, Madagascar

•    Observation of the principle and operation of lombric-composting, a nutrient-rich organic compost created by earthworms.
•    Observation of the principle and operation of an insect hotel to attract pollinating insects.


Learning about the role of an insect hotel © The Aspinall Foundation, Madagascar

•    A visit to the local school to observe locally made teaching tools and innovative school activities which help to improve the quality of classroom management and student participation.

A Participatory and Immersive Approach

The school trip was packed with activities for both students and teachers. Key themes explored, such as the environment, natural resources, sustainable agriculture, and activities promoting the circular economy, are all part of the school programme within our project. Visiting these sites provided evidence of practical applications that can be replicated by the rural communities in our project site, and helped to reinforce knowledge gained through training. 

Crucially, it strengthened the motivation of all the participants to become actively involved and share their acquired knowledge, thereby contributing, through education, to the emergence of a generation of citizens who are more aware, committed, and responsible toward the ecological challenges faced by their communities.

Thank You

We thank everyone at the three locations for their time and willingness to share their knowledge and skills, and for making the school trip such a success. We would also like to thank CEPF for their support and collaboration with us on this project.

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.