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New Forest Monitoring Transects Created in Marojejy NP
P A G E 7
V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1
S A V A C O N S E R V A T I O N
DLC-SC to Open Office in Sambava
By Charlie Welch
As mentioned earlier in this newsletter issue, DLC-SC has come far in its first year, and now encompasses a wide
array of ongoing conservation activities, from fish farming to reforestation to teacher trainings in environmental
education. Erik has overseen the project from his Sambava residence, but we have grown to the point that there is
now need for an in-town office. Although we had not expected to find just the right place so quickly, Erik has been
able to locate the perfect space, of which we are now the proud renters!
The space has a good central and secure location in Sambava, and is the upstairs of an extremely solid building that
houses a business in the downstairs. In addition to a large room that can serve as an office, the space includes a large
kitchen, toilet facilities and three bedrooms, one of which will be converted to project equipment storage. So in
addition to serving as an office, we will
now be able to host visiting collaborators.
The new DLC-SC office will give both
Erik and Lanto a place in which to work,
to hold meetings and host visiting
professors and other collaborators, as
well as carry out a variety of project-
related tasks. Importantly, the new space
will go far to raise our visibility in the
community. Tune in to future
newsletters to see the office once it is
furnished and operational!
New DLC-SC office in Sambava (on the second floor)
Photo by Dr. Erik Patel
Nine new monitoring transects created in Marojejy NP
By Dr. Erik Patel
In addition to providing the village guards with needed gear,
we have also created nine new monitoring transects (a techni-
cal term for a research trail) in remote regions in the park (see
map at right). The transects will be used by park rangers, vil-
lage guards and researchers to conduct more systematic forest
and lemur surveys. The transects, each of which are between
1.5km and 2km long, were made along existing footpaths using
marked tree flags every 25 meters without any cutting. Like
many parks, the small tourist zone of (central-eastern) Maro-
jejy is the most closely monitored and well preserved. We
hope to increase the activity of village guards, rangers and re-
searchers around the park since monitoring presence can, like
tourism, discourage habitat disturbance.