Lemur Research and Protection
Coordinator | Bethany
Coordinator | Bethany
Book with Flex Option!
Choose new departure dates or change to a different volunteer program at no extra costs.
Highlights
Protect the unique and beautiful plants and wildlife of the rainforests in Madagascar.
Discover the endemic flora and fauna, over 90% of Madagascar’s animal species and 89% of its plant species are found nowhere else in the world.
With a balance between hands-on work and research, you’ll learn a range of skills.
All you need is a passion for the environment and animals, and a willingness to work hard to protect the endangered animals in Madagascar.
With leaping lemurs and swaying chameleons, the country has a lot of interesting sights for nature lovers.
Work at the forefront of rainforest conservation in Madagascar beneath lush and green canopies. Explore the forest trails and identify beautiful wildlife along the way.
This volunteer program is especially suitable for:
Age 16+
Singles
Couples
You’ll help support wildlife conservation in Africa and work in an under-resourced national park. By providing manpower, you’ll help keep the park running and protect the diverse species that live there.
Your work will focus on these main areas:
Plant and animal surveys
A large portion of your time will be spent conducting plant and animal surveys. This involves identifying different species, mapping their locations, and recording details about them. We’ll use this data to write reports about species distribution in the park. This research plays an important role in informing conservation policies in the reserve.
Build hides for night surveys
There are all kinds of interesting species that are out and about at night, like bright yellow Madagascan moon moths. To monitor species at night, you’ll build hides, which are high structures from which you have a 360 degree view of the forest around you.
You’ll spend some nights camped out there, taking turns sleeping and keeping watch for nocturnal creatures scurrying around in the dark.
Reforestation initiative
You’ll also help out in our tree nursery, where we plant indigenous seedlings. Once seedlings are large enough to survive on their own, you can assist with planting them in the park.
The national park where we work doesn’t have enough staff to carry out large scale reforestation initiatives. As an animal volunteer abroad, you’ll provide a much-needed pair of helping hands for this work.
Man-made development and natural disasters like floods and fires threaten rainforest vegetation. Not only do trees counteract carbon emissions, but they are a habitat for many of the endemic species in Madagascar.
Remove alien plants
As part of your project work, you’ll also help remove alien plant species from the reserve. You’ll map where you find them and remove them before their seeds spread. Local guides will take you through plant identification lessons to make sure you can distinguish between indigenous and invasive vegetation.
Community clean-ups
You’ll be involved in cleaning up the national park and nearby communities. You’ll also promote proper waste management by speaking to local people about recycling and building rubbish bins to place around the communities.
Effective waste management is an important part of wildlife conservation volunteering. Rubbish can have a devastating effect on animals and it also affects the Madagascan tourism industry. You’ll play an important role in lessening this impact.
Typical day
A typical day on this Madagascan Conservation Project will start at around 7 am. You’ll finish your work at about 4 pm, with an hour break for lunch. Project work will run from Monday to Friday, with your weekends free.
You might start your day with an early morning bird census. You’ll hike through the reserve, identifying and recording the bird species you see.
After this, you’ll help local community members with picking up litter. You might also work together with volunteers on building and painting a rubbish bin.
In the cooler afternoons, you can work on removing alien plants. If there’s time, you can do another census, surveying creatures like lemurs or reptiles.
You’ll have your evenings free, giving you the chance to connect with other volunteers. At your guesthouse, you can enjoy a tasty dinner, followed by a game of cards, while you listen to the sounds of cicadas chirping in the warm night air.
Free-time activities
Madagascar is synonymous with unique plants and animals. With leaping lemurs and swaying chameleons, the country has a lot of interesting sights for nature lovers.
While you’re there, be sure to visit one of the many national parks. You’ll get to see some of the wildlife that call this island nation home. The Avenue of Baobabs is also a must-see. These towering trees, with their unusual trunks, are known as Africa’s tree of life.
You can see the jagged cliffs and interesting rock formations of Tsingy de Bemaraha. Madagascar borders the third largest coral reef system on the planet, making it a great location for snorkelling and scuba diving.
We run a number of different projects here, so there will likely be other volunteers in Madagascar during your project. So you can travel independently or spend your free time with a group of like-minded, passionate volunteers.
Sightseeing
Diving/
Snorkling
Snorkling
Safari/
Zoo
Zoo
Hiking
Requirements
In order to join the program you need to be at least 16 years old on the program start date.
You need to speak English (basic level)
No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.
Your helping hand will be required on
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
from
07:00
- 16:00
What's Included
Accommodation
Food (three meals a day)
Airport pick-up and drop-off
Full induction and orientation by an experienced staff member on arrival
Transport to and from your work placement
In-country support and 24-hour back-up from our team of full-time local staff
Emergency assistance from our international emergency response team
Project equipment and materials, including access to our database with thousands of resources
Training and workshops from our experienced local staff
Regular social events and community activities with other volunteers and interns
Access to our local office with internet connection
Certification of project completion
A cultural awareness course
Membership to our volunteer social media groups, to share information and to get in touch
A supervisor/mentor at your work placement
On arrival at Ivato International Airport (TNR), you will walk through immigration, collect your luggage, and make your way to the arrivals section of the airport.
As you exit the airport, one of our friendly staff members will be waiting to collect you. They’ll be clearly visible, in a Projects Abroad t-shirt or holding a Projects Abroad sign. Please note that for security reasons, the airport is only accessible to travellers. Our staff members cannot enter the building at all.
After meeting a member of our staff, you’ll have the chance to exchange money and buy a local SIM card.
From the airport, you will be taken to your host family in Andasibe, where staff will make sure you’re settled. The drive between the airport and the town where you’ll live is around four hours, depending on traffic. We cover the cost of your transport to and from your arrival airport, giving you one less thing to worry about when you arrive after a long journey.
You'll share accommodation with other Projects Abroad volunteers and interns during your stay in Andasibe. This is a great way to get to know your fellow volunteers and interns, share experiences, and explore your surroundings in your free time together.
The accommodation is safe, clean, and comfortable.
Your programme fees include three meals a day.
Good access at the project site
Visa, flights, travel insurance or vaccinations are NOT included in the program fees.
The nearest airport is Antananarivo Airport (TNR) in Antananarivo. We assist you to find cheap flights to Madagascar.
Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Madagascar provides security and is a plus to have.
If you are intending to volunteer in Madagascar you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Madagascar.
Dates & Fees
NO CREDIT CARD FEES
Details on arrival
This project is available all year round, so you can join any time of the year. The minimum duration is one week, but we recommend staying longer to have an even greater impact.
This program is paused due to COVID-19
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
1 - 50 weeks
Program fees
1 week
(min. stay)
$1,795
2 weeks
$2,065
3 weeks
$2,335
4 weeks
$2,605
8 weeks
$3,685
16 weeks
$5,845
50 weeks
(max. stay)
$15,025
Average fees
$1,048
/week
The organization charges its fees in GBP. The price table in USD is subject to currency fluctuation.
Projects Abroad
will let you know about the final price during your application process.
The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.
Your final payment will be agreed with Projects Abroad during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.
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Lemur Research and Protection
Work at the forefront of rainforest conservation in Madagascar beneath lush and green canopies. Explore the forest trails and identify beautiful wildlife along the way.
$1048/week
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