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Located off the coast of East Africa in the Indian Ocean, the island of Madagascar is a living laboratory harboring some of the most unique plants and animals on earth. More than 90% of Madagascar's orchids are endemic to the island, and many are threatened with extinction. In June of 2012, Illinois College began a 5-year collaboration with specialists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre studying critically endangered orchids on this unique and beautiful island. One project goal was to meet the demands of the people of Madagascar who depend on these plants for income generation through a unique community partnership.
Two blogs detailing our research are available:
www.kew.org/blogs/kew-science/mycorrhizal-research-supports-orchid-conservation-in-madagascar
www.kew.org/blogs/kew-science/conserving-madagascar’s-orchids
This project led to three scientific papers published in international journals. The most recent paper was co-authored by IC student, Amanda Wood, and can be accessed at: https://as-botanicalstudies.springeropen.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s40529-017-0209-3
Research team in Madagascar composed of scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Illinois College, and Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre. The forest shown behind the team harbored lemurs as well as orchids. The young woman in the foreground (with child) protected the forest from illegal logging, using park entry fees as her source of income.
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