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Madagascar Volunteer - Ankarana Forest Reserve
BlogForest ConservationTeaching

Ankarana Forest Reserve

Volunteers participating in either the Forest Conservation Volunteer Programs or Teaching Volunteer Programs will spend 5 days visiting the Ankarana Forest Reserve in Northern Madagascar as part of their adventure tour.

The reserve’s southern entrance is situated in Mahamasina, about 108 kilometres south-west of Antsiranana and about 29 kilometres north-east of Ambilombe. There is also a second entrance near Amboandriky but a 4×4 is required to reach it. Access to the third entrance near Matsaborimanga is very difficult.

The reserve is a small, partially vegetated plateau made up of 150 million year old Jurassic limestone and was created in 1956. The limestone is prone to erosion, causing it to produce both underground rivers (some of which contain crocodiles) and caves. The canyons are forested with dry, deciduous vegetation, many species of which are endemic to the reserve only.

In the west, the plateau ends abruptly in what is known as the “Wall of Ankarana”, a sheer cliff that extends 25 kilometres north to south and rises as high as 280 metres. In the south, the limestone breaks up into separate spires known as tower karst. The harder base rock has been etched into channels and ridges at some places, known as astsingy. The reserve is also home to the Mangily sinkhole which is up to 700 metres across and 140 metres deep with a volume of 25 million m³.

About 100 kilometres of cave passages have been mapped within the plateau. La Grotte d’Andrafiabe is one of the most accessible caves and on its own, comprises at least 8.035 kilometres of horizontal passages. Not only is the cave system here the longest in Madagascar, but possibly also in the whole of Africa.

The diverse wildlife can be viewed by either hiking or 4×4 drive vehicles which can access most of the campsites. Below the plateau, a grassy plain leads to the Indian Ocean.

Visitors to the forest can expect to see various mammals including the fossa, fanaloka, northern ring-tailed mongoose, numerous species of bats and, of course, several different lemurs. According to Bradt’s Madagascar Wildlife, it may be that Ankarana has the highest density of primates in any forest in the world.

Reptiles in the area include various geckos, the Madagascan ground boa and various chameleons which include the world’s largest chameleon, the Oustalet’s chameleon (which can reach 60 centimetres in length).

Bird lovers; be sure to look out for the endangered Madagascan fish eagle. The reserve is also home to several endemic bird species including the Madagascan pygmy kingfisher, Madagascan green pigeon, the greater vasa parrot and 15 of the 16 vanga species. Also look out for raptors such as the Madagascan scops owl and the Madagascan Harrier-hawk.

In the 1980s, expeditions to the reserve started cataloguing the various plants and animals, including fossils of several extinct large lemurs, amongst others. Bird lists were also collated and an interesting aspect of the behaviour of insect eating birds in the reserve was noted. It was reported that several species of these small insect eating birds foraged together in mixed groups. Within each group, the different species would then specialise in how and where they sought their prey. Some species focused on slender branches, others on the trunks. Working together also seems to have provided them with greater protection from their predators.

With so much to see and do in the reserve, the adventure tour is sure to become one of the highlights of your volunteering experience in Madagascar.

Contact us today and book your spot on either the Forest Conservation Volunteer Program or the Teaching Volunteer Program.

Teaching English
BlogReviewsTeaching

Teaching English in Madagascar as a Volunteer

Teaching volunteer, Alex MacIntyre, has been in Madagascar teaching English in the neighbouring village of Ampangorina as part of his 16 week volunteer program.

“It is dangerous to hold lofty expectations. I reminded myself of this every time I felt tempted to believe the cliché that volunteering abroad would automatically guarantee me an ‘eye opening’ and transformative experience. So it was with an open mind that I stepped onto the plane in Melbourne airport, bound for the tropical island of Madagascar – known to most only
Teaching English - Alex MacIntyrethrough the series of movies that share its name.

The real Madagascar has proven to be a trifle different from the theatrical depiction. Stepping off the boat onto Turtle Cove, it took me several breaths to absorb the scene of white sand, shimmering blue water and lush green jungle that was to become my home for the next four-months.

This image, however, exists in juxtaposition to the dire poverty felt by the majority of the Malagasy people. Teachers at MRCI strive to tackle this situation. Everyday we take the dubious but stunning journey to our friendly neighbouring village, Ampangorina. We teach hoards of energetic children and handfuls keen adults, in the faint hope that it will improve their likelihood of future employment, or simply feed their hunger to learn. At times it is tiring and tedious but we are unified by a shared vision and tacit acceptance that struggle is necessary to achieve it. Fulfilment comes in increments. It comes from enthusiasm detectable on the faces of students. From being received by the community with warm appreciation, not as a foreigner, but as a brother and a friend. This is true fulfilment. This is the hidden gem that we search for in our travels. This is what I found in Madagascar.

The wisdom and perspective I have gained during my time in Madagascar will remain with me always. As will the friendships I have forged. So, for all those considering volunteering with MRCI in the future, my advice is simple. Do it. Time on this strange and wonderful speck of paradise is time well spent.”

Take Alex’s advice and ensure your gap year abroad is an eye-opening, transformative experience too. Contact us to book your trip today.

BlogForest ConservationReviews

Volunteering in Madagascar – a Home Away from Home

Aren Ammari recently took part in our Forest Conservation volunteer program as well as
teaching English. He is just 18 years old, hails from Los Angeles, California, USA and has been volunteering with us for 24 weeks.

“I have never felt at home at ‘home’. Being born and raised in Los Angeles, I was surrounded by a concrete world. I’ve always Forest Conservation Volunteering: Aren Ammaribeen interested in nature, watching documentaries, constantly harassing my parents for trips to the zoo. My heart yearned for the wild, craved to hear the flow of a river, to breathe the air of the natural world. Picking a place to go wasn’t too hard; Madagascar screams at visitors with all that is nature.

Landing on Nosy Komba, I felt like a curious child, this tiny island, our small volunteer community. The people lived differently than what I was accustomed to, in a place on the opposite end of the spectrum to where I had come from. A proverbial ‘lost world’, I was instantly immersed in this ancient and beautiful place. Trees towering over me, birds singing in the trees above, and lemurs howling in the night. Seeing these amazing animals, these creatures I’ve been seeing in my nature books since I was a child.

This place was truly the naturalists promised land. For anyone with any interest in the odd, in the razzle dazzle that nature has to offer, this place is all you could have hoped for. Chameleons are standard fare, lemurs a casual walk through the park. This was home, a real, loving home. From the volunteers to the local people, I have never felt so comfortable, so loved and so cared for. This was home, on this tiny island of mine.”

Whether you are travelling abroad for your gap year or wish to enjoy an eco tour holiday adventure, volunteering in Madagascar is a once in a lifetime opportunity not to be missed.