September 23, 2022
Making Conservation Work in Madagascar: Communities Involved in Citizen Science
Dr. Patricia Wright
Herrnstein Endowed Chair in Conservation Biology at Stony Brook University
Abstract
Wright discovered a new species of lemur, the golden bamboo lemur, in 1986 in south central Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world and known for its unique biodiversity. When timber exploiters began to cut down the only forest where this lemur lived, Wright reached out to the Malagasy government to make this region a protected area. In May, 1991 Ranomafana National Park was created with her guidance, and in 2007 RNP became an IUCN World Heritage Site, protecting 15 species of lemurs, 5 critically endangered. The communities surrounding the park were rewarded with primary school education, a mobile health team, and economic incentives including ecotourism. Wright describes how recently the local residents of the area surrounding the park are taking a new role in its protection and monitoring.
Biosketch
Dr. Patricia Wright is the Herrnstein Endowed Chair in Conservation Biology at Stony Brook University. She and colleagues discovered the golden bamboo lemur (Hapalemur aureus) in 1986 in Madagascar. When this rain forest, and the future of this new species, were threatened by timber exploitation, Dr. Wright spearheaded an integrated conservation and development project at Ranomafana that focused on the protection and conservation of endemic flora and fauna as well as rural development, education, and promotion of health services in the park's peripheral zone.
In 1991, Ranomafana National Park was inaugurated, and in 2007, it was awarded World Heritage status. In 1997, the Ranomafana National Park management was handed over to the Malagasy Park Service. Since 1997, Dr. Wright has continued to be actively involved in biodiversity research and exploration in Madagascar. Dr. Wright’s research includes the effects of human induced and natural change on Madagascar rainforest, effects of pollination and seed dispersal by lemurs, ecosystem dynamics, and ecosystem genomics.