Rainforest Hikes
We teamed up with the Guides Association of Ranomafana to bring school groups into the rainforest for a first-hand learning experience. We are located just next to the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Ranomafana National Park (RNP), in Madagascar. RNP a 41,000 hectare rainforest that is considered a biodiversity hotspot with 12 species of lemurs (5 of which are considered critically endangered on the IUCN RedList). The national park is also home to over 100 species of frogs, 120 birds, 200 species of orchids, thousands of unique invertebrates, and rare carnivores such as the fossa. The park faces pressures from the outside, which includes tavy (slash-and-burn agriculture), illegal goldmining, and invasive species encroachment. These pressures have been even higher this year without tourism.
International borders have been closed since March 2020, and the tour guides have had to search for alternative incomes and new ways of living. This past year, we put together a conservation education program for local students and teachers through fundraising. The program consists of transporting and leading small school groups into the rainforest on professionally led hikes with members of the Guides Association. Masks are required and hand sanitizer is provided frequently. These fieldtrips also include an artistic opportunity for the students to express the things they learned and their experiences at the end of their hikes through drawing and writing. We use this time to reflect and discuss what we learned about the local wildlife and the importance of the rainforest to our communities. Students are then able take their artwork home as souvenirs and visual aides for stories to tell their families. We also provide sustainable, healthy, and locally produced snacks (koba) for students, teachers, and guides.
Throughout the hike we share that not only does the rainforest attract international tourism, but it also provides us with clean air and drinking water, and good soil. Our communities also rely on hydroelectricity. We can now see the impact of forest loss and climate change because power cuts during dry season are becoming more frequent with lower water levels, and our fruit seasons were shorter last year due to changing weather patterns.
We and the rest of the Guides Association have now led over 1,000 local students and teachers into the forest so far this year. We are proud to have been able to accomplish our goal of providing all public and private schools in Ranomafana (students ages 8-18), with the opportunity to learn firsthand about the importance of the rainforest with us. We are very grateful for the ongoing support and collaboration with Madagascar National Parks, local school directors, and of course it is all made possible thanks to donations from individuals and local NGOs. Not only has this initiative provided financial support to the guides in our Association, but it has also given us a sense of purpose within our community.
It was the first time for many of these students to visit the national park and to see lemurs in real life. Guides and teachers encouraged students to record their observations in their notebooks, while learning firsthand about ecology and how the wellbeing of the rainforest directly impacts our lives.Now that we have led all schools in Ranomafana, we would like to expand to nearby communities that have not had any conservation education outreach in over a year. Pressures on the rainforest continue to grow, and we believe that it is more important now than ever to teach and share knowledge about the unique biodiversity and importance of the rainforests in Madagascar through firsthand educational experiences led by passionate local professionals. The timing of this project is at the beginning of tavy (slash-and-burn) fire season, and we hope inspire people to be more mindful of their relationship to the native rainforests of Madagascar.
