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Author Archive | Lynne Venart

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A Chat with the National Zoo’s Primate Biologist, Becky Malinsky

Today, we chat with Becky Malinsky, Primate Biologist at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. about her career as a primate keeper, and what it’s like to work with lemurs and other primates every day at the zoo. Can you tell us about your background and how you got started working at the National Zoo? I received my undergraduate degree in Anthropology from American University, but my passion for primates goes back as far as I can remember. I blame my […]

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Awww... isn't he cute? Photo by Lynne Venart.

A Visit to the Lemur Conservation Foundation’s Lemur Reserve

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Lemur Conservation Foundation’s lemur reserve in Myakka City, Florida. LCF’s Zoological Manager Caitlin Kenney spoke with me about their work at the reserve and in Madagascar, and introduced me to their seriously adorable—and cheeky—lemurs. In this blog post, I’ll share photos of the reserve and the lemurs it houses, discuss LCF’s history, and explain how this reserve is helping to preserve these endangered primates. In a later blog post, I speak with […]

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Ash Dykes Completes Epic Madagascar Trek after 155 Days

After 155 days and several near death experiences, adventurer Ash Dykes has completed his 1,600 mile walk from the deep south to the far north of Madagascar, summiting Madagascar’s eight highest mountains, and braving extreme weather conditions both in the dry south and the rainy north. In the desert southern city of Fort Dauphin, he met with our members Azafady and Sainte Luce Reserve to learn about their work and the conservation challenges in the south. Then, he continued on to the […]

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The author Lynne Venart on her first trip to Madagascar in 2012. Photo taken by Christine Venart in Ankarafantsika National Park.

Planning Your First Trip to Madagascar

As a tourist, it can be intimidating to plan your first trip to Madagascar. It seems so remote and exotic! Plus, it’s large, with a less-than-stellar road system, and the plane tickets are expensive, so you want to do it right the first time. In this blog post, I’ll share a variety of options for traveling to Madagascar for the first time visitor, with some helpful tips and quotes from the experts. Don’t be intimidated, and don’t fret about “doing it right.” There […]

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Photo by Lemur Love

Ask a Lemur Researcher: Q and A with Lemur Love

Every Tuesday on Facebook, Lemur Love holds “Ask a Researcher,” a question and answer forum for lemur fans from around the world to ask the experts any question they want. Questions can be about a particular lemur species, recent research, life in the field, and more. Below are some highlights from recent Lemur Love’s Ask a Researcher Tuesdays. » See the first Q and A blog post Q: Are all lemurs social? A: To a certain extent. There are some species of […]

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The crowd at the concert among beautiful forested hills

Centre ValBio Interns Venture to Kianjavato to See Singer Khelen in Concert

  A Weekend Adventure to See One of Mada’s Top Singers A few of the volunteers and researchers at Centre ValBio took a weekend trip to Kianjavato to see Khelen in concert. Khelen is one of the most popular singers in Madagascar at the moment and… she happened to be hosted by Aina, a friend of one of the researchers. As luck would have it, we could also stay at the same house as Khelen and entourage were going to leave the […]

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Ash Dykes Reaches Mid-Way Point of Madagascar Expedition

I caught up with Ash Dykes recently to celebrate his amazing feat of reaching the mid-way point of his Madagascar expedition. He’s trekked 800 miles from the southern most tip of Madagascar to the capital city of Antananarivo in the Central Highlands. The first 800 miles have been quite the challenge. He has survived the deadliest strain of malaria, visited three organizations from the Lemur Conservation Network, summitted five of Madagascar’s highest peaks, and had a ton of crazy adventures. Below are some […]

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Collecting Rahiaka Seeds

Putting trees back where they once were: Reforestation at Centre ValBio

  Reforestation is a Mainstay of Centre ValBio Reforestation at Centre ValBio has been a mainstay of the field station since its founding. Working with landowners in the periphery of the park, Centre ValBio has established reforestation plots on private land as well as a demonstration agroforestry plot which has vanilla vines growing on native trees for support. Using Trees Native to the Region The reforestation program only uses trees which are native to the region, the seeds for which are gathered from […]

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