Diaries, memos, stories and notes from volunteers out there on the ground
21 May 2008
An ever-adapting balance...
An ever-adapting balance between human and environmental aims must, and can, be achieved. » Read more
An ever-adapting balance...
An ever-adapting balance between human and environmental aims must, and can, be achieved. » Read more
21 Apr 2008
An eye opening adventure...
I was given the chance of a lifetime... A chance to learn about the world and to delve deep into myself. A chance to see the world as people from our western culture seldom do, and it changed my life in more ways than one. » Read more
09 Apr 2008
What has it taught me?
This experience has taught me that conservation is much more than dry politics. I got to use my classroom education and expand it to real-life situations in the forests of Madagascar. The WWF agents and the communities showed us the difficulty of balancing development, growth, change of lifestyle and conservation. I learned first hand how people cope with the challenge of preserving nature, while at the same time having to make a living. » Read more
09 Apr 2008
Mora Mora
The term ‘mora mora’ that nearly every guide book refers to when describing Malagasy way of life-literally meaning slowly slowly-can be deceiving. » Read more
26 Mar 2008
Tsanga-Tsanga!
There was also some fun involved…well lots to be honest but I won’t go on too much about that… » Read more
Tsanga-Tsanga!
There was also some fun involved…well lots to be honest but I won’t go on too much about that… » Read more
17 Mar 2008
Fish for food, overfish for... death?
Sustainable fishing and marine conservation is an important issue: not only on a local scale but on a national and international one. As you well know it isn’t an easy subject to discuss; it is rather humbling when you are asked if Madagascar should take example on the way fishing is managed in Europe… what would you answer a part from “no not really”! » Read more
Fish for food, overfish for... death?
Sustainable fishing and marine conservation is an important issue: not only on a local scale but on a national and international one. As you well know it isn’t an easy subject to discuss; it is rather humbling when you are asked if Madagascar should take example on the way fishing is managed in Europe… what would you answer a part from “no not really”! » Read more
12 Mar 2008
On a personal note...
I was lucky to be born and raised in a society that has understood and appreciated the value of nature and taken measures to protect it long before the topic became a buzz word. The tiny Buddhist kingdom, nestled in the Himalayas between China and India, is small in size (about the same size as Switzerland) but is recognized internationally as a giant in the field of environmental conservation. » Read more
On a personal note...
I was lucky to be born and raised in a society that has understood and appreciated the value of nature and taken measures to protect it long before the topic became a buzz word. The tiny Buddhist kingdom, nestled in the Himalayas between China and India, is small in size (about the same size as Switzerland) but is recognized internationally as a giant in the field of environmental conservation. » Read more
12 Mar 2008
A Moral Dilemma
While we did tell the local people about the consequences of tavy, I couldn’t help but feel like a hypocrite as I sat there and told these people who had been practicing their way of life for generations, to stop what they were doing only so they could put food in their bellies, while I went about my daily life. » Read more
12 Mar 2008
My work in Madagascar
Madagascar is home to some of the most unique plants and animals, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. Unfortunately, only a fraction of its original forest cover is left and this is a pity since this unique island is a rich source of biodiversity, and is listed as one of the world’s ten ‘Biodiversity Hotspots’. » Read more
