Volunteer Conservation Research Program in Madagascar

Volunteering with SEED was everything I hoped for from start to finish. I completed the full eight-week programme from Oct-Dec, which allowed me to fully integrate with the conservation team in the village of Sainte Luce. Seeing real research happen firsthand was incredible. I’ve wanted to visit Madagascar since I was a child to experience the wildlife, and this was by far the best way I could have done it. Each day, you could choose your activities, such as forest transects searching for lemurs, amphibians, and reptiles, working alongside local guides who are true experts and spot things you’d never see on your own, as well as monitoring and maintaining newly planted forest corridors. You gain an up-close understanding of wildlife behaviour and the ecosystem, while also learning how the local Malagasy community views conservation and daily life. That perspective was genuinely life-changing. Living in a tent for eight weeks in a forest definitely came with challenges, especially adjusting to the heat and basic living, but it was incredibly rewarding. The team were outstanding throughout, from helping organising my trip and arrival to dealing with any concerns on the ground, everything was handled professionally and with care. I don’t see how this experience could have been better for me. I would recommend SEED to anyone even considering Madagascar as it’s exactly how you should experience the country in my opinion.

Thank you so much to SEED for all that you do and for letting me play a small part during my time in Madagascar! The stay at the camp was amazing, with all that I could want and a great team welcoming me and taking the time to make sure all the volunteers were happy (even when they were knackered after a day of transects in torrential rain). A big highlight was the Varika lemurs leaping between the trees above the outdoor showers in the evenings. We were also lucky enough to meet Lisa (a member of the SCRP team) in her final week at camp and were there to witness a special ‘Veloma’ (goodbye party) with the national staff before she set off for her next adventure. It was at the party that we heard Hoby’s, a pillar of the SCRP team, song for the first time (later becoming a recurring motif in the trip, the most meaningful rendition of it being by a classroom full of children on our trip to the Manafiafy school in our final days). After a week of transects none of us could wait to see the beach everyone had been raving about and we certainly weren’t let down; crystal clear water, a beautiful sandy coast and a fresh coconut under the shade of a palm tree - paradise.

I joined SEED's conservation team for 1 month in the forests of Saint Luce, and had such a fantastic experience! I learnt so much from the conservation research team, going on daily surveys of local populations of lemurs, geckos, frogs, and insects. I also got to be a part of SEED's other projects with local communities, including attending a focus group with the Mahampy reed-weaving cooperative and helping facilitate a school session on coral reefs at a rural school. The volunteer program was such a fantastic way to learn about the humanitarian and conservation sectors, and also witness SEED's great work in Madagascar!