Supporting our communities
Conservation and Sustainability
One of the most endangered habitats of Madagascar lies in the country’s southeast. The endemic spiny forest once covered large swathes of this dry area, and is home to the IUCN Red List critically endangered Verreaux’s Sifaka and Radiated Tortoise, as well as the endangered Ring-tailed and White-footed Sportive lemurs. The area is also rich in other endemic fauna and flora. Flowing through this arid landscape is the Mandrare River, which brings life not only to the vegetation and wildlife, but also to the local Androy people.
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Throughout the last century, the Mandrare Valley has been heavily deforested and is now dominated by vast stretches of sisal plantations. What was left of the spiny forest suffered immensely during the pandemic shut-down, leaving isolated pockets interspersed along the valley. Our Conservation Team at Mandrare River Camp, which overlooks the Mandrare River and lies next to several of the remaining spiny forests, is now leading the efforts to raise awareness and promote ways in which to safeguard these endemic habitats. Working alongside numerous NGOs, researchers, and government agencies, our Conservation Team has managed to create a pro-active partnership with the sixty-two communities of the Ifotaka Commune.
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​Our program has four distinct projects:
Conservation and Direct Reforestation
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We are extremely pleased to have reached an agreement with the village of Betamboro to consecrate a portion of its Spiny Forest as a sacred forest. We have purchased a zebu bull to donate to the consecration ceremony, which will provide the forest with a cultural structure to protect it from deforestation. The ongoing guest fees will continue to pay for forest guardians. Additionally, we have begun a widespread replanting project of the iconic octopus trees of the Spiny Forest. We are paying all sixty-two villages for each octopus tree planted, with the hope of planting over 15,000 trees this year. We are also establishing tree nurseries and corresponding seed banks to grow and distribute other endemic Spiny Forest tree species. Finally, we are seeking further academic and research partnerships to help monitor the impact of the program on the target conservation species
Food Security and Sustainable Incomes
The main driver of deforestation in southern Madagascar is the desperate need caused by food insecurity and extreme poverty, and addressing those challenges is critical to halting deforestation. The food security project will train and support farmers to develop small-scale ‘forest gardens’ that mix productive tree species with annual crops into synergistic blends as an alternative to slash and burn farming. The program is designed with key-line water management principles and water-efficient irrigation to minimize water usage and create climate resiliency. The sustainable incomes project focuses on creating alternative income opportunities to charcoal and timber. We are partnering with communities and NGOs in an inclusive design process to match participant skills and needs with income opportunities, particularly for women.
Green Energy
Over 90% of cooking fires in Madagascar use firewood or charcoal, and without providing alternatives, deforestation for cooking fuel will continue to devastate the forests. To reduce the demand for cooking fuel, we have partnered with local NGO ADES-Solaire to distribute fuel-efficient cookstoves to our communities. The stoves reduce the demand for cooking fuel by 50-80% and come with a 3-year guarantee. Just 1000 stoves can eliminate the demand for over 200 hectares of forest. We are also piloting two potential alternatives with the staff canteens at Mandrare River Camp. Firstly, we are creating charcoal briquettes from agricultural waste with the ambition that local communities can sell eco-briquettes to replace charcoal produced from Spiny Forest trees. Secondly, we are building biogas digesters that run on agricultural waste and cattle manure, eliminating environmental pollution, replacing wood based cooking fuel, and supplying clean burning gas.
Green Schools
Education is the only long term solution to the chronic problems facing our communities, and for almost two decades we have built and repaired schools and distributed supplies to students. We are recommitting to our work in education by implementing a Green Schools project that will provide schools with school supplies, clean water, school gardens, and environmental education. Firstly, we are continuing our distribution of schoolbags full of supplies to ensure every student has the tools they need to learn. Secondly, we are building rainwater harvesting tanks that will provide clean water in the rainy season and we will distribute clean well water in the dry season. Thirdly, connected to this rainwater system, we are building school gardens to supplement the school lunches with fresh vegetables. Fourthly, we are supplying all of the local school canteens with fuel-efficient stoves, thus spending less time collecting fuelwood and reducing harmful smoke in the canteens. Finally, we are formulating a “green” curriculum to teach the basics of ecology and agriculture and organize child-friendly tree-planting events
Plastic Free
Plastic pollution is a significant environmental issue in Madagascar, largely due to the reliance on plastic bottled water driven by the country's poor drinking water quality. To help address this, Madagascar Classic Collection provides guests with reusable water bottles, which can be refilled from large water containers or filtered sources available at many hotels and lodges. Mandrare River Camp offers filtered osmosis water for guests and staff.
In June 2024, the Conservation Team of Mandrare River Camp hosted a successful event with the chiefs of all 62 villages in the Ifotaka Commune. This event showcased the benefits and methods of reforestation, how to gather and create rainwater collection systems, and demonstrate and distribute fuel-efficient stoves to each chief. All 62 village chiefs were highly impressed and very keen to extend these working partnerships. For those guests that have supported our projects thus far, we are deeply grateful for all of their funding and advice. There is much more to do on the ground which will take time, dedication and more funding. If you would like to learn more or contribute to our projects, please reach out to Riker, our Conservation Manager, at conservation@madaclassic.com. For all donations concerning US citizens, your donation is tax-deductible thanks to our fiscal sponsorship with Regeneration International, a registered 501c3 non-profit advocacy organization.
