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New Project: The Ivoloina Training Center

Mr. Celestin Razafy now leads the team of excellent and committed MFG Conservation Agents in Betampona Reserve. Click image for larger version.

One of the most important MFG/DLC projects has just begun- construction of the new Ivoloina Training Center- a complex with a classroom, laboratory, dormitory and simple dining facilities. Start-up grants to build the classroom and laboratory were awarded by the Saint Louis Zoo's WildCare Institute and by the Government of the Province of Tamatave, and this first-phase construction is close to completion.

The idea of a Training Center at Parc Ivoloina derived from discussions with various stakeholders because facilities for environmental workshops and training sessions are very limited in the region. The MFG and its Malagasy partners agreed that a new meeting/work space (in addition to the current education classrooms) and a simple laboratory would contribute to conservation training programs at the local, regional and national level. Incorporating a dormitory, kitchen and dining area will help address the difficulty of in-country travel that becomes a barrier for low-income yet highly motivated Malagasy to receive training.  

Parc Ivoloina is a unique location for the Training Center because it provides a hands-on field site with the following resources:   

1. The Zoo (one of only two zoos in Madagascar) which features exhibits of endemic fauna such as radiated tortoises, chameleons, and 13 lemur taxa, a large lake with native fish and waterfowl. The zoo serves as an ideal location for training in captive conservation and husbandry, veterinary care and in animal identification/biology for ecotourism guides.
2. The Environmental Education Center that has a library, classroom and exhibits room for training of students and teachers.
3. The Forestry Station that includes a model tree nursery, over 700 acres of land with diverse fauna and planted with both exotic and native trees, and small lakes that were once used in fisheries research; the station is an excellent location for training field research techniques, reforestation and restoration ecology.  
4. The Model Agroforestry Station that serves as a demonstration area for sustainable land use practices such as using rice paddies as an alternative to slash-and-burn rice production, cultivation of fruits, spices and vegetables, the use of plants that aid in erosion control and commercial crops such those used to make mats and baskets.

One of the most important ways that the DLC can contribute to conservation is by working with Madagascar's universities and authorities to train and develop local graduates in practical conservation management and research skills.