Earthwatch Award Recipient Summary
Awardee: Jonah Ratsimbazafy, Ph.D
Affiliation: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Madagascar Program
Project: Lemurs and Forests of Madagascar
Award: 2004 Young Scientist Award
Project Synopsis
Dr. Jonah Ratsimbazafy is the former student of Earthwatch's 2001 Principal Investigator of the Year, Dr. Pat Wright, and a dedicated researcher of the unique biodiversity of his Madagascar home. With the help of Earthwatch teams, he is investigating the behavior and habitat needs of black-and-white ruffed lemurs in the tropical forest of Manombo. A massive cyclone damaged this threatened forest in 1997, and Dr. Ratsimbazafy is monitoring the response of lemurs to habitat altered by such natural calamities as well as human impacts. By following lemur groups throughout their day to monitor their activities, as well as surveying forest structure and composition, volunteers are making a valuable contribution to the future conservation of Manombo Forest's biodiversity.
Award Outcomes
The Young Scientist Award allowed Dr. Ratsimbazafy to:
· Support the training and participation of university students
· Expand his research to include endangered brown-collared lemurs
· Reach out to local villages, including the installation of wells
Dr. Ratsimbazafy is using his award money to train the next generation of conservation biologists in Madagascar, an island of amazing biodiversity beset by environmental pressures. As the recipient of an earlier award in 2003, Dr. Ratsimbazafy funded the participation of students from the University of Antananarivo to learn from his methods of studying wild lemurs. He recognized that the students not only got to know the lemurs better, but also gained first-hand knowledge of the poverty and resource needs of villagers living near the park. Dr. Ratsimbazafy plans to continue this practice, using his Earthwatch Young Scientist award to bring students to his research project for on-site training. Their experiences in the park, and in the local villages, will make these students better prepared for taking the lead in Madagascar's conservation challenges.
The award will also allow Dr. Ratsimbazafy to expand his research at Monombo to include the brown-collared lemur (Eulemur albocorallis), one of the most endangered primates in the world. Manombo is the only protected area where these lemurs exist, and Dr. Ratsimbazafy will explore the species' habitat needs and response to changes in the forest.
Dr. Ratsibazafy firmly believes that community health and conservation are intimately connected. For this reason, he plans to use the remainder of his award money for constructing wells in villages near Manombo Forest. The support of local villagers is integral to the future conservation of Manombo's biodiversity, so Dr. Ratsimbazafy's efforts are a large step toward the forest's sustainable future. This effort has also led to improving education in the area, providing school supplies through the generosity of a former volunteer's family. A colleague at Stony Brook University will be helping Dr. Ratsimbazafy build a school in his study area.
Publications and Papers
Pending
Presenting at the International Primatology Society, Uganda 2006
Poster at SCB, Brazil 2005
Quotes
"I did not expect such recognition. I just did my work as usual and tried to do the project in a professional manner. But, when I received the award, I said to myself that there are people who know the hard work we have done for these many years to save the endangered lemurs of Madagascar while helping local communities. This award means that we are not alone in saving the biodiversity of Manombo. It also means to me that I have to go forward and do better, because the award is not only a recognition, but also an encouragement to keep our project running."
"The data we collect from black-and-white ruffed lemur groups will enhance our knowledge of the recovery of that species after the big cyclone in 1997. For example, one of our study animals gave birth to twins last November. Such information is very important to us in terms of understanding the recovery of the population and its habitats."