Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Localfarmerswhovoluntarilymakepartoftheirfallowlandavailableforreforesta-
tionbenefitbothintermsofsecurityoflandtenureandotherformsofsustainable and
more productive agriculture provided by the project. Carbon credits generated will be
traded via the BioCarbon Fund of the World Bank, and it is hoped that farmers will
also benefit in terms of direct payments.
The restoration project fits into Mitsinjo's philosophy of conservation work going
hand-in-handwithruraldevelopment. Workingcloselywithlocalcommunities onag-
ricultural and health issues is the key to success. Several conservation and research
projects are carried out together with local communities, the most important being the
study and protection of the greater bamboo lemur, one of the world's rarest primates,
which was rediscovered in the area by Mitsinjo in 2007.
Mitsinjo also generates local income by promoting ecotourism at two sites - An-
alamazaotra and Torotorofotsy - which can be visited in the company of the associ-
ation'sguides.Inadditiontoenjoyingthewildlifeoftheseareas,touristsmayactively
contribute to conservation efforts by participating in tree-planting and lemurtracking.
Donations are also most welcome. Contact details are on
Click Here
.
VOHIMANA RESERVE (PK 148)
(
22 674 90;
e
vohimana@mate.mg
;
www.madagascar-environnement.com
)
This forest reserve, a few kilometres east of An-
dasibe, is protected through a partnership with local villagers and the NGO Man And The
Environment (MATE). They are working towards reducing the local community's depend-
ence on slash-and-burn farming. Clearly this is a project worth supporting, but Vohimana
is much more than that - it provides arguably the best 'herping' experience in the area.
Anyone with a serious interest in Madagascar's reptiles and frogs should plan a visit here.
The reserve is roughly the same size as Andasibe but it includes rainforest of a great range
of elevations (700-1,080m) and is known for its frog diversity (over 80 species) and vari-
ous chameleons not found in Andasibe, including the spectacular
Calumma gallus
with an
ultra-long nasal extension.
Thereservehassomesimpleaccommodationwithsharedfacilitiesandanicecommunal
dining area. Accommodation and meals should be prebooked.
Getting there
Vohimana is on the north side of RN2 about 10km after the turnoff to An-
dasibe, near the village of Ambavaniasy. The walk to the reserve takes about 45 minutes,
althoughitisnowpossibletogethalfwaybyvehicle onaroadbuiltbytheAmbatovymin-
ing project.
Whattoseeanddo
YoucandivideyourtimebetweenseeingwhatMATEisdoingtohelp
Madagascar's environmental crisis, such as visiting the tree nursery (like at Mitsinjo, these
saplings are used to establish forest corridors linking isolated areas of forest), the essen-
