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A Walk Through the Forest Like Never Before
Continued
P A G E 9
V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1
into the park to see things they had only head rumor of, I knew this was a once in a lifeƟme opportunity I had to
help them afford. They’d have the rare chance to see those endemic and unique plants and animals so vital to a
thriving ecosystem on the island. Near the teens’ homes, most of these living beauƟes
have been long destroyed or chased away; a result of slash and burn farming and
massive logging, as well as lots of hut development and city sprawl, to allay bloaƟng
populaƟon numbers.
Growing up in these sprawling villages, the idea of seƫng foot inside the park
boundaries remains a mystery for most all locals. Entrance fees into the park for
Malagasy naƟonals aren’t really a prohibiƟve cost, at shy of 50 cents a day. But add to
that all the necessiƟes of a trip into a park: transportaƟon by bush taxi, guides,
enough food to last a few days in advance, and a few porters to help carry it, and
you’ve got enough Ariary to feed a small family for weeks. It’s no small feat geƫng
raincoats or proper camping aƫre either. It’s easy to see why so few of the locals
could ever hope to make it into the park as anything more than a member of park
maintenance staff. When the students agreed to chip in a whopping ten cups of rice
and ~1USD to contribute to the trip (for a total contribuƟon equivalent to more than
three dollars a student), I knew they were serious about commiƫng to the
experience. Duke Lemur Center’s SAVA ConservaƟon
project contributed the remaining funds needed to make
the Marojejy visit become a reality for the students!
As always, the great spirits of this aptly‐named “many
spirits” park (“Marojejy” means “many spirits” or “much
rain” in Malagasy), delivered an absolutely astonishing
experience. We saw so many great animals and ancient
plants, tracked silky sifaka lemurs with local lemur
specialist Nestor (taking notes along the way), climbed
high peaks to reveal leafy green plant species older than
dinosaurs, and with the help of local guide Rabary Desire,
learned enough about medicinal plants to keep our whole
crew healthy. The kids found it amazing how different the
primary forests of Marojejy were from the deforested
landscapes near their homes, and how many different
types of plants and animals exist in Marojejy, from lemurs, down to the eels in the clear, prisƟne ponds and the
wacky bugs on the forest floor. We even held our own compeƟƟve panel to judge the students’ fieldwork:
impressively professional‐looking drawings and field notes from plant and animal species seen throughout the park.
In the end, we enjoyed our trip and thrived in the wild, aside from the few leeches that got away with a liƩle more
blood than we would have liked. The kids had a new respect for each other, a new spirit of togetherness, and some
rare Ɵme for communing with unspoiled nature.
AŌer a quick four days the club members returned to town life Andapa. We were all a liƩle smellier, of course,
but their eyes and minds were opened wide to the world‐class forests remaining around them, to that special,
protected world lying just over the hills, in the cool rivers and lush canopies of ancient Marojejy.
S A V A C O N S E R V A T I O N
“Growing up in
these sprawling
villages, the idea of
setting foot inside
the park
boundaries remains
a mystery for most
all locals”
Guide Desiré Rabary explaining the natural processes
of the forest
(Photo by Hilary Brueck)