Monthly Archives: March 2015

Adventures, Animals, Hiking, Madagascar, Outdoors

Nosy Mangabe

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The island Nosy Mangabe is part of Masoala National Park but is located 2km off the coast near Maroantsetra and is 520ha in size. The island is teeming with wildlife and groups of black and white ruffed lemurs have been translocated here from the mainland. No village has ever been located on Nosy Mangabe but fishermen have small huts on the foreshore and visit the island regularly. Old tombs and graffiti by sailors (several hundred years old) can also be seen during treks.

There is a camp run by the national parks centre with toilets and showers, a kitchen and six camp sites.  The camping is very basic but they have done a great job building wooden decking on the foreshore for tents. At any time you can hear the gentle breaking of waves. When we arrived it was almost lunchtime.  We had a refreshing swim followed by a tasty meal of fresh fish. After lunch we started on our first trek on the island. The island was practically deserted when we arrived, but a large group of Peace Corps volunteers arrived the next day for a day trip.

We had seen two different species of leaf-tailed gecko while in Ranomafana and did not expect to see such a different variety as in Masoala. The long, slender, almost blue body coupled with the huge white/silver eyes was a majestic sight to behold. We saw our first geckos sleeping through the day. Our guide Bionic had shown us our first one and after that Anneka and I kept spotting them. Anneka was also the chameleon guru spotting them playing dead or hiding within dense foliage. During the night walk we also saw many leaf-tailed geckos on the move. It was a wonderful experience.

The wildlife in Nosy Mangabe may have been even better than the main part of Masoala; we saw black and white ruffed lemurs, many leaf tailed geckos, chameleons (including Brookesia micra the world’s smallest), bats, many weird insects and four snakes!

We camped on Nosy Mangabe only for one night.  It began to rain heavily at the end of our night walk and only just made it back before getting saturated. We had a quick meal and retired for the night. We lay on our sleeping bags listening to the rain – imagining what may happen tomorrow. Thankfully we managed to keep all of the mosquitos outside of our tent. With recent rains the mosquitos were horrendous.

Madagascar, Outdoors, Volunteering

COBA nurseries for reforestation and agroforestry projects

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COBA is a term used for community forest management associations (COBA’s) when forest management has been transferred to the local community. The objective of the Darwin Foundation project ‘Madagsacar: Argoforestry livelihoods project’ is to establish local nurseries within COBA’s to produce native species for reforestation / restoration and some exotic species for plantation wood and agroforestry. Ny Tanintsika works with 22 COBA’s within the Ambositra-Vondrozo forest corridor (COFAV). Ny Tanintsika has trained two nurserymen and at least one technical community agent (TAC) in each COBA. The TAC is responsible for creating a demonstration Agroforestry plot and sharing techniques learnt from Ny Tanintsika field agents with anyone in the community wishing to learn. The annual target is 20 000 seedlings produced in each COBA over 5 years.  If successful, this would produce roughly 2 million seedlings for planned revegetation activities within the corridor. The image below shows the type of landscape requiring restoration. ‘Savoka’ is the Malagasy term for abandoned agricultural land.

It is amazing to witness what Malagasy people can achieve with very limited resources. The nurseries seem very basic at first glance but produce several thousand healthy seedlings, enabling essential community reforestation projects.  Nurserymen receive very little monetary compensation, especially when considering the number of hours most of them spend in the nursery. However, they are given training by Ny Tanintsika field technicians in exchange for their services and receive the adoration of the community.  This and the opportunity to contribute to a better way of life for their families is sufficient motivation for their selfless contribution. The nurserymen are very proud of their achievements. It was fantastic being able to exchange ideas with them and assist them in their endeavours.

Seed collection of native species is done locally from the forest which helps maintain correct provenance and local genotypes for species.  Minimal seed pre-treatment is required to achieve high germination rates when viable seed has been collected. This is in stark contrast to many Australian species that exhibit many complex seed dormancy mechanisms. In Madagascar, often drying out seed prior to planting or soaking in water over night is sufficient to induce germination. Seed is sowed in germination beds or directly into poly bags depending on the species. Most seedlings are kept in the nursery for 3-6 months prior to planting in field sites.

Some native species exhibit very low survival and growth rates. This is most likely due to the absence of vital mycorrhiza associations within soil (see post on Mycrorrhiza). These mycorrhizal plant associations increase the vigour of seedlings by providing nutrients to growing plants that may otherwise be unavailable. Recently we began trials at some of the Ny Tanintsika community nurseries to produce and incorporate these essential mycorrhiza in the potting mix used in polybags for seedlings.

Adventures, Animals, Hiking, Madagascar, Outdoors

Masoala – Largest National Park in Madagascar

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Masoala National Park was just superb. It is the largest of Madagascar’s protected national parks and covers an area of 2,300km2 and another 100km2 of marine parks. The park is home to the red ruffed lemur and the elusive aye-aye. Many other species also call Masoala home; the brown tailed mongoose is only found there and humpback whales use the shallow coastal waters as a nursery ground for young. Sadly, many parts of Masoala are still under threat from illegal logging operations that sell rosewood on international black markets.

We took a small motorboat from Maroantsetra down the peninsula to a small rural village which was to be our home for the next few days. The boat ride was spectacular, with huge peaks of rainforest looming up on both sides and clear calm waters. We had lunch followed by a relaxing swim and an afternoon walk in the park. It was really beautiful, with primary forest and lots and lots of wildlife. We certainly could understand why it is considered one of the best national parks in Madagascar.

We spent three nights in Masoala, in a very basic bungalow, no running water and cold bucket showers. It wasn’t exactly your typical Christmas experience, but it was really enjoyable. We saw red ruffed lemurs, white fronted brown lemurs, the brown tailed mongoose, many chameleons, frogs and even a few tenrecs (like small hedgehogs). The insects of Masoala were also quite beautiful and the moss camouflaged mantis was one of the highlights.

We spent three nights in the coastal village of Masoala and trekked to different parts of the park over the three days. This was a good amount of time to spend in the same place. Those with more time (2 weeks) can trek the coastal route around the peninsula from Antalaha to Maroantsetra. Don’t forget your mosquito repellant and malaria meds.

Adventures, Hiking, Madagascar, Outdoors

Maroantsetra – gateway to Masoala National Park

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False Start (Tana-Maroantsetra)

We were supposed to fly from Tana to Maroantsetra on 18 December 2014. We were about 3-4hrs away from the airport in Andasibe.  We’d booked a car for 8am to take us to the airport, our flight was supposed to be at 1:20pm so were told we had plenty of time. Air Madagascar (Mad Air) is notorious for cancelling/rescheduling their flights at late notice. We had been previously reassured by them that they would telephone us if their was a change, but in Andasibe we didn’t have any phone network. In hindsight, we really should have made sure to call them the night before. An hour into our drive to Tana, we got network coverage, and we see a text message saying our flight had been brought forward to 9:45am! There was no way we were going to make that flight in time. We frantically tried to call Mad Air, and kept losing phone connection. Finally they advised us the flight had actually been cancelled. In a way, this was much better than early takeoff as we didn’t just miss our flight.

The traffic was horrendous through Tana and we only just made it to the airport 45min before the flight was initially scheduled to fly so we would have been cutting it fine in any case. We were advised the flight was cancelled and they would call us later that afternoon. We checked into a hotel. No phone call. We went into the Air Mad office in town and were advised the next flight to Maroantsetra would be in four days! Yay (sarcasm), four days hanging around in Tana. It wasn’t so bad though, we visited Ambohimanga, which is a hill and traditional fortified royal settlement 24km northeast of Tana. We hired a car that took us for half the day there and back.  This was an enjoyable day trip. Depending on your previous experiences of royal palaces, this may seem very basic, however this is the best-preserved monument of the precolonial Kingdom of Madagascar and very interesting when you consider what life must have been like for them.

On 22nd December we arrived at the airport very early before our flight. Once at the counter we were advised the flight was overbooked and we could not get a seat! We were very frustrated by this time, as we couldn’t afford to wait another four days. We explained to the staff that we had already been postponed four days. Luckily they did end up finding us seats, hurray! On the flight, three people sat in the cockpit with the pilot and the air steward sat in the toilet for takeoff and landing, poor guy! We arrived in Maroantsetra safe and sound, it was very hot when we arrived. We were met by Rakotovazah, a slightly eccentric appearing and softly soft spoken man, who arranged pretty much our whole holiday in Masoala. We had a good feeling driving into town. Very basic palm huts lined the road, but they were very neat and tidy. It felt slightly surreal arriving in this rural, faraway town only 90 minutes after leaving Tana. We took a taxi to Coco Beach Motel, which was lovely, and discussed our tour. We were very happy with the price and plans, we were to be picked up by the boat right in front of our hotel the next morning. We had a lovely seafood lunch overlooking the mangroves, and hired bicycles and rode down to the beach for a swim. Alex even joined me for a spot of yoga in the evening! We eventually left on a small motor boat the next morning two hours after we were supposed to, Malagasy time!

After our trip to Masoala and Nosy Mangabe, we returned to Maroantsetra for one night.  We were exhausted from our trip and were told the boat we needed to take to Soanierana Ivongo for our Nosy Boraha transfer would leave at 10pm that night.  It would be a 10hr boat trip through the night. It was a boat trip to forget.  Many boats have capsized on this journey.  About 2hrs into the trip I hoped the boat would capsize! I just wanted off! It felt like a riding bull in a sauna with repetitive Malagasy music bursting our eardrums. This was Alex’s worst trip in Madagascar.  We recommend to take the 2 day journey by 4 wheel drive down the infamous RN5 or flight with Mad Air before attempting this boat ride.  We may not have taken these routes but anything has to be better than that boat!

Adventures, Animals, Madagascar, Outdoors

Vakona Lodge and lemur island

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On our last day in Andasibe we hired bicycles from Marie and rode to Vakona Lodge. Although the bikes looked good we quickly realized they were just holding together. Lets say we had a fun time cycling about 10km to Vakona Lodge from Marie’s Guesthouse. We had lunch there which was lovely, it was a bit more expensive ($10 meals) than other restaurants in the area, but was worth it. The restaurant is set in a lovely garden with a lake, and we sat there for hours just soaking it up.

After lunch we visited the lemur park (15 000Ar). We had mixed feelings about this place. We had heard many rumors from the locals and other tourists about how the lemurs are treated and the way in which the park was managed. The lemurs had been far removed from their natural habitat. Their behavior had changed; they were comfortable around people and had been fed to please the tourists. It was however a great experience to get really up close and personal with the lemurs – they were sitting on our shoulders and climbing all over us.  Some of the lemurs you will see at Vakona:

Eastern lesser bamboo lemur

Black and white ruffed lemur

Vakona (12)

Common brown lemur

Diademed sifaka

There is also a crocodile park that homes a fossa, that we did not visit. We had heard the fossa is locked in a small cage and considering we had seen them in the wild decided not to go.  Their hotel is set in lovely surroundings, food was fantastic and seeing the lemurs so close was really awesome. We just couldn’t help feeling a bit uneasy about the place considering some of the things we had seen and heard.

A huge thunderstorm started just as we were leaving and we rode home with our hearts in our chests, lightning and thunder sooo close. We didn’t feel too comfortable on metal bikes, but there was nowhere to shelter so we just legged it. To top it off the brake cable snapped on Alex’s bike and sent him flying down the hill. Thankfully we made it back safe and in one piece, phew!

Adventures, Madagascar, Outdoors, Volunteering

Visit to Mitsinjo Community Association

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Association Mitsinjo is a community based environmental NGO located in Andasibe. Mitsinjo manages and protects the Analamazaotra Forest Station, Torotorofotsy wetlands and forests connected with but not part of the Andasibe-Mantadia national parks.  The organization runs ecological monitoring of endangered lemur species, with special focus on the Indri and Greater Bamboo Lemur. Mitsinjo also run several tree nurseries with an annual production capacity of more than 100,000 seedlings and comprised of approximately 120 endemic species. They are also part of an international amphibian research center created to protect the endemic frogs of Madagascar.

Find out more on their Facebook page

The restoration objectives set by Mitsinjo were developed to comply with guidelines set out in the Kyoto Protocol. The scheme encourages conservation, enhancement and restoration of natural forest corridors between larger forest fragments.  The activities attempt to encourage maximum community involvement to develop sustainable livelihoods for the local population.

We had been in contact with Mitsinjo and they invited us to visit them in Andasibe. We arrived at the reception center in the morning but a large group of tourists beat us there. They had a tour planned that morning called “Plant a Tree and Save Forests! Mitsinjo Forest Restoration Tour”. The visitors receive a presentation explaining Mitsinjo’s mission, current activities, and past successes. After the presentation the tourists went on a quick walk to view the Indri Indri followed by each planting a native tree in restoration. Fortunately after these morning commitments the head nurseryman was available to show us around after an early lunch.

At lunch we met two inspiring Malagasy men called Jean-Noel (Mitsinjo President) and Youssouf (VP and head nurserymen).  We discussed some of Mitsinjo’s recent projects and current challenges.  They had a thorough understanding of native forest restoration and firm practices in place.  We spoke about possibilities for bilateral information exchange between Ny Tanintsika and Mitsinjo. The organisations had similar projects running within the humid forests of eastern Madagascar, although separated by almost 500km.

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In the afternoon Youssouf showed us around their very impressive nursery. We were hopeful to see some techniques that could be transferred or adapted to assist Ny Tanintsika with their projects.  We discussed a production technique for the critical ingredient in soils for restoration: Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM).

See our VAM post here!

We viewed current restoration areas of the forest. We were fortunate that this area showed the different stages of restoration.  The group were restoring an area of forest that had become infested by Rubus alceifolius, a type of blackberry, and very difficult to control. Three years of slashing the blackberry was required before any native seedlings could be planted. Native species were planted with purpose and specific roles to play. Plants from all stages of succession were used in an effort to speed up the restoration process. Seedlings of species with medicinal and other benefits for the local people are planted on the boundary of the national park(s). This helped to keep the local community from entering a park to find these traditional plants and restricted the amount of disturbance within the parks.

The large areas infested by rubus and other exotic species, combined with savoka (abandoned agricultural land), makes the restoration of critical areas in Andasibe seem quite daunting. With limited financial support given to organisations like Mitsinjo, they are extremely successful and fulfill a very important role for restoration activities in Madagascar.

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