Let's Go Again! Discovering More of Madagascar

This is a continuation of our virtual visit to Madagascar with Annie & Ant, since there is just so much to explore that we didn’t get to in our first webinar! In this follow-up, we’ll investigate some of the challenges faced by the world’s fourth-largest island, which contains some of the planet’s greatest and most endangered biodiversity. Due to the island nation’s geographic isolation, more than 80% of the species native to Madagascar—including more than a hundred varieties of charming lemurs—are found nowhere else, and they are under intense pressure from climate change, deforestation, population growth and illegal mining. This second installment delves into more of Madagascar’s wide range of ecosystems, introducing the fascinating wildlife and phenomenal local people we meet along the way. A special focus is “biogeography,” exploring how the formation of Madagascar and the arrival of humans created some of the challenges the island and its people face. Our virtual adventure also explores local land use, the impact of artisanal gemstone mining, and takes you to a community lemur conservation project showing how the land and people are intertwined.


Originally presented February 25, 2021

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