Report: Fieldwork and conservation in Madagascar

Through the kind and generous support of Lord Grimstone and Merton College in awarding me the Gerry Grimstone Travel Award I was able to travel from London to Nosy Be, Madagascar, for the last two weeks of September 2024. I embarked on this trip alongside my fellow Merton Biologists, Sara and Theo, all of us looking forward to immersing ourselves fully in a brand-new culture (but in particular to learn about stunning wildlife found nowhere else in the world). We aimed to complete a wildlife conservation internship with GVI, who promised to provide us with the opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the management of the local area through our work. When we heard about our chance to apply for this travel award, I knew I wanted to seize the opportunity to do something I would never have otherwise had the means to do; therefore Madagascar, further away than I had ever previously travelled and famous amongst biologists for its impressive array of endemic species, seemed an enthralling destination.

And so it was; we spent two weeks learning from wonderful local experts who had grown up amongst the rainforest and knew the resident species by the back of their hands. On a daily rotation of activities we trekked into Lokobe National Reserve, the last remaining section of primary forest on the island of Nosy Be, to conduct observational surveys. We collected data on the behaviour of black lemur family groups, herpetofauna species distributions and frequency of sighting (applicable to population sizes), and bird species sightings through audio and visual clues. As interns we were responsible for collating the data into excel spreadsheets containing several years' worth of comprehensive data. This data could then be processed to visualise patterns over time and used by the local conservation leads to inform their investment into national park infrastructure and maintenance.

We spent time out of the field at base camp memorizing the species we were studying by sight, and the birds by call, to allow us to accurately identify them (even on night hikes with head torches). We further implemented this study into weekly lessons with rangers-in-training, who were aspiring to work as rainforest nature guides for tourists. Despite excellent knowledge in Malagasy and French the key skill they needed us to impart was translating their information into English, and to develop their general conversation skills to communicate with tourists. This was a rewarding process to see genuine gratitude, and helpful for reinforcing our own growing knowledge.
In addition to our field work, we took advantage of our time over the weekends to visit some of the most beautiful natural landscapes I have ever seen. We travelled by boat to pristine beaches where we went snorkeling over coral reefs with giant turtles, angelfish, parrotfish and more. It was fantastic to have access to such an array of beautiful marine biodiversity in its natural habitat, and all in all an experience I will never forget. Thank you, Lord Grimstone, for providing this wonderful opportunity.