Rare species are threatened urgently by extinction

In the north of Madagascar along the mountain chain of Makirovana there are the rests of the lowlands rainforest. Investigations have produced that there exists a very rich flora and fauna. However, most of them are unfortunately threatened by extinction.

Traditionally people burn the forest to make room for new fields. But the land is not only exhausted after a few years, but also gets washed away at the steep slopes in the rainy season. Another threat for the forest is the illegal deforestation of the popular high-precious wood like rosewood and jacaranda. The rainforest is increasingly disappearing and with it the living space of many rare animals, partly threatened by extinction like the lemur.

Madagascar is the fourth largest island of the world and is located in front of the east coast of Africa in between of Mozambique and Mauritius. Because of its isolated location 80% of the species are endemic, that is to say, they do not occur nowhere else in the world. Around 4.200 species of trees, 1.000 different orchids, rare birds and monkeys like the lemur are living on this unique island. However, nowadays 90% of this living space is destroyed. With the rainforest the indigenous species will disappear forever!

Planting trees and saving the rainforest

In 2015 Naturefund, together with the local partners Tsiry and Missouri Botanical Gardens (MBG), started a pilot project: We helped ten families to convert their land to dynamic agroforestry. Dynamic agroforestry is an innovative and promising method that reforests even barren land in a short time. On the same land the farmers can grow their food. Some families could already double their yields after a short time, while at the same time a new forest has been growing!

Discover new conservation projects!