Madagascar: Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management

Key Features

Live and study in Fort Dauphin.
The program is based in Fort Dauphin (Tolagnaro), a town of approximately 50,000 people. Situated on a peninsula at the southern end of a chain of rainforested mountains, Fort Dauphin is surrounded on three sides by the Indian Ocean and is home to some of the country’s cleanest and most beautiful beaches.

Five very distinct ecosystems exist within a fifty-mile radius of Fort Dauphin, making it a great base from which to take a variety of educational excursions. Students are able to appreciate the wonders of rainforests, spiny forests, gallery zones, coastal vegetation, and transitional areas.

Examine Madagascar’s long-term conservation and development needs.
Students are not only exposed to spectacular natural settings; they also explore the human pressures placed on the country's ecosystems and possibilities for the future. Students grapple with questions of conservation versus development. Often these debates raise more questions than solutions, further compelling students to study, learn, and contribute to the discussion.

Explore a variety of integrated themes in collaboration with Malagasy partners.
The program offers thematic units on lemur ecology, conservation and environmental management, forest types and land use over time, ethnobotany, sustainable energy, renewable resources, ecotourism, and marine studies.

The Environmental Research Methods and Ethics seminar allows students to experiment with a wide range of social and natural science field techniques alongside Malagasy counterparts studying environmental management.

Enhance your French while learning Malagasy.
Students are able to improve their French, while studying the environmental and conservation issues about which they are passionate. Students also learn Malagasy to connect more deeply with the Malagasy people. Students have multiple opportunities to improve their speaking skills in both languages through time in the classroom, with host families and friends, and with the program’s extensive network of contacts.

Visit key sits related to Madagascar's contemporary ecology and conservation.
Madagascar is an incredibly rich country in terms of flora and fauna. During excursions outside Fort Dauphin, students directly witness current conservation challenges, such as the illicit trade in endangered species, deforestation for cattle grazing, slash and burn agriculture, and fuel wood use. Madagascar’s national system of park management is juxtaposed with local livelihood practices, where people view the forest as a source of food, shelter, energy, and medicine. Learn more about the program’s excursions.

Complete an Independent Study Project.
During the final month of the semester, students focus on an Independent Study Project (ISP) in which they conduct primary research on a selected topic. The ISP is conducted primarily in southern Madagascar or other appropriate locations.

Sample topic areas include:

Coral reef conservation
Reforestation
Medicinal plants in the marketplace
Ecotourism
Carbon sequestration and financing
Land tenure reform and agricultural production
Conservation assessments of endangered species
Sacred forests
Community-based resource management
Behavioral ecology of lemurs in Berenty Reserve
Sustainable land use techniques

Credits: 16

Duration: 15 weeks

Program Base: Fort Dauphin (Tolagnaro)

Language Study: French, Malagasy

Prerequisites: Coursework in environmental studies, ecology, biology, or related fields; 3 semesters college-level French Read more...

View Student Evaluations for this program:

About the Evaluations (PDF)

Fall 2012 Evaluations (PDF)
Spring 2012 Evaluations (PDF)
Fall 2011 Evaluations (PDF)

Phone:
888.272.7881 (toll-free in US)
802.258.3212

TTY:
802.258.3388

Fax:
802.258.3296

Mailing Address:
PO Box 676, 1 Kipling Road
Brattleboro, VT 05302 USA

Request More Information

Contact us by email.