Location

Antananarivo, Andasibe, Ranomafana, Beza Mahafaly, Tulear, Madagascar

Program Description

In this program we will examine primate ecology, extinction and conservation in both the rainforests and dry forests of Madagascar. The primates of Madagascar are particularly special because, like so much of Madagascar's flora and fauna, the entire radiation of lemurs is found only in Madagascar. Students will learn about the origins, adaptations, threats and extinctions of Madagascar's lemurs. Primates will be studied in the broader context of biodiversity, recent extinctions, and the relationships between people and environment in one of the poorest countries in the world whose unique natural environment has been named one of the world's top biodiversity hotspots.

This program is comprised of two courses covering topics of biodiversity, conservation, and human-environment interactions in Madagascar as well as a focused examination of primate locomotor ecology in Madagascar. We will have guest lectures, visits to park, and some traditional lectures/ discussions. However, the majority of the course will be focused on group research projects in which students will learn and practice field methods (e.g. behavioral and video-based data collection, GIS, environmental sampling); understand the process of hypothesis formation and learn to refine and hypotheses and predictions; and engage in dissemination of research to local stakeholders and the scientific community

Location Description

Madagascar is the 4th largest island in the world. It's long geographic isolation from the mainland has resulted in incredibly high levels of endemism with 90% of its wildlife (including the lemurs) found nowhere else in the world. Madagascar is also home to over 25 million people, and it is one of the poorest countries of the world. Because of its rich biodiversity, high levels of endemism, and the increasing threats from a growing and impoverished population, Madagascar is considered to be one of the top biodiversity hotspots in the world. The ecosystems in Madagascar are incredibly diverse, including high mountain rain forest, deciduous forest, and spiny desert, and the people and lifestyles equally so. We will examine a large part of the breadth of these natural environments while we travel from the high mountain rainforest to the spiny desert of southwest Madagascar. However, we will also have the opportunity to examine primate ecology in two of these areas, the rainforest near Ranomafana National Park, and the dry forest at Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve.

Our primary destination will be the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve (BMSR) in the dry forest of SW Madagascar. BMSR has been the site of one of the longest standing primate research programs and community-based conservation in Madagascar. This reserve, although open to the public for visitation, is mostly a research station and facilities are quite primitive. Beza Mahafaly is surrounded by a number of villages with whom the reserve and related conservation projects work very closely. The journey to and from BMSR will be include an examination of the flora, fauna, and human subsistence in different regions of Madagascar including explorations of different forests (e.g. rainforest, mangrove forest) and conservation efforts.

Director

Roshna Wunderlich | wunderre@jmu.edu | Biology

Lauren Sarringhaus | sarrinla@jmu.edu | Biology

Accommodations

In the larger cities and during travel, accommodation will be in hotels. Ranomafana National Park has dormitories for visiting students. These may all have limited internet access. Students will be in shared rooms. While at BMSR, students will stay in large shared tents that we will bring with us. Toilet facilities and showers are primitive, and students may be asked to limit water use for showers as we will be traveling during the dry season. Limited electricity is available at the BMSR, but there is no reliable access to the internet. Phone service may be intermittently available.

Students will be provided meals at the BMSR. During travel and time in larger cities, most meals will be provided by the program, but students will be given a stipend to cover the occasional meal.

Additional Items to Consider

• Students will need a passport and visa for Madagascar
• It is important that students are ready to live in tents and use primitive toilet facilities at the BMSR.
• Students should visit their physician or a travel physician to get the most recent recommendations for vaccinations. This will include a prophylactic for malaria which is present at high levels in Madagascar

These are the recommendations from the CDC website:

• Hepatitis A: Recommended for all travelers.
• Hepatitis B: Recommended for most travelers.
• Typhoid: Considered for all travelers due to risk of infection.
• Rabies: Considered for travelers with increased risk of animal bites (e.g., those in remote areas or working with animals).
• Yellow Fever: Required if traveling from a country with yellow fever risk.
• Cholera: Oral vaccine may be recommended.

Applicant Criteria

Applicants must have a GPA minimum of 2.0

Prerequisite: Students must have completed at least BIO 140 and 150 OR ANTH 196 OR equivalent or obtain permission of the instructor.

French is helpful but not required

Open to First Years, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors, Graduate Students, including non-JMU students

Essay describing motivation for participation in the course will be reviewed ahead of acceptance