SEED Madagascar works with volunteers on important research and outreach programming in southeast Madagascar.
The SEED Madagascar Volunteer Experience
Length of volunteerism: Short-term opportunities are available which range from 2 – 10 weeks (available in 2-week increments) in January, April, July and October of each year. In addition, longer-term opportunities (1+ year duration) are available.
Cost: ~$900 (£600) is the minimum donation, plus expenses.
Type of accommodation: Volunteers stay in tents at the SEED Madagascar Conservation campsite, based in the Littoral forests of Sainte Luce, which is a beautiful coastal area holding many endangered species. This campsite is the base of SEED Madagascar’s Conservation Programme, and is where they run research projects and community conservation initiatives including their lobster and lemur projects. SEED Madagascar works with local communities to increase their knowledge of the biodiversity around them, and help to provide alternative sustainable livelihoods to help protect their environment.
Experience with volunteers: SEED Madagascar has been working in Madagascar for over 20 years, and has been facilitating volunteer programs for most of that time.
Volunteer Roles
SEED Madagascar offers short-term volunteering opportunities but also has longer term volunteering opportunities for durations of one year plus. Based in Sainte Luce, our Research Assistants work on the Conservation Programme; collecting data, conducting research and assisting with local community conservation education and eco-tourism training.
Currently, SEED Madagascar’s research focuses on biodiversity, collecting data about species present, their distribution, density, behavior and habitats. The data is then used to better manage forests, support the local community and protect the species concerned. Volunteers also run regular environmental education classes for local children, and assist with English teaching.
SEED Madagascar is happy to organize more formal internships which provide slightly more feedback to the intern as well as a final report; the internship lends itself to those who are joining the team as part of an academic course and particularly those who are aiming to be awarded credits.
More information about SEED Madagascar’s short-term opportunities can be found here, while their longer-term openings are listed here.
