We are now bringing sophisticated research opportunities to high school age students in the Nature Center located in Ranomafana, Madagascar. The lessons include: natural selection and evolution, the scientific method, research techniques, scientific writing, and more! Through this program we will collaborate with students at the Nature Center to develop a research question and design a field study that will contribute to the formal body of scientific literature surrounding conservation in Madagascar. Students will supplement their own community's ecological knowledge with lessons in natural selection, the Scientific Method, data collection, and other topics. They will then design a study and conduct it in Ranomafana National Park, and write a scientific report on their findings that we will publish here!
Update
The VIPs Fund Ecology 101 Class of 2025-26 has officially started their classes! After advertising the program in the local high school, there are now 21 students participating in the weekly program sessions, the majority of whom (16 out of 21) are girls! Thus far, students have attended four weekly Saturday lessons, with the first two focusing on program and student introductions and activities featuring some delicious snacks from local sellers and cookies from VIPs Fund partner Varibolo Resto. Among these was the beginning of term exam–a tool used by VIPs Fund officers to determine what students know and what they learn over the course–with half of the class scoring above 50%. Our two teachers, Mme Josiane–a former Ranamofana National Park director–and Mr. Jocelyn, have covered a wide range of topics so far, including the basics of experimental science, the fundamentals of ecology and biodiversity, and an emphasis on incorporating their community knowledge into science. In the most recent lesson, students spent time in the area outside of the nature center practicing their scientific observation skills and how to form a hypothesis and study. The students are all loving the program and many have expressed interest in working in ecology and conservation after earning their baccalaureate degree, something VIPs Fund hopes to support through our VIP Scholarship project.
Update
Ecology 101 classes resumed for the New Year in early January, with students learning about concepts like evolution and natural selection and learned how to apply these concepts to their surroundings in Ranomafana. Students have created their own definitions for a variety of ecological and biological concepts and have begun learning how to understand and contribute to the scientific narrative that is so important across Madagascar. These lessons are in preparation for the second half of the program where the class will spend time in town and Ranomafana National Park conducting their own scientific experiments. At the end of last year, we were able to pay for electricity to power the Nature Center and buy three computers for students and staff to use. With these computers, students have been practicing their computer skills and learning the fundamental concepts of computer science with Mr. Jocelyn!
In 2024 we began our collaboration with a women’s artist co-operative in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, called FATA (Fikambanana Asa Tanana Association). The FATA co-operative is made up of 8 artists, and if you’re interested in learning more about all of the artists we work with, check out the VIPs behind VIPs page! This collaboration is one of conservation and sustainability by creating economically valuable opportunities for women to earn their living in a sustainable way. Through our collaboration we aim to provide sustainable livelihoods with livable wages while also holding space for freedom of creativity. We ensure that the materials provided meet our sustainability standards and then allow for full creative freedom. We buy the pieces from their respective artists at whatever price they set, no questions asked, and bring it back to you to share the beauty of sustainable art and fashion. Look out for their work in our upcoming fall collection!
As the first VIPs Fund conservation project, we worked with Patrick Randriamamonjy in Ranomafana, Madagascar to support Varibolo Resto, a restaurant and ecotourism company that provides sustainable jobs to community members right outside the famous Ranomafana National Park. Many animals, including lemurs, cannot be found naturally anywhere in the world outside the island of Madagascar. However, poverty runs rampant in here, so Varibolo provides the opportunity for people to make money without participating in environmentally destructive industries like logging, slash-and-burn-agriculture, and wood charcoal production upon which many Malagasy households rely. The Resto takes people on kayak tours of the Park to educate about the unique biodiversity and importance of conservation in Madagascar, as well as supporting the restoration of Ranomafana's elementary school! Conservation education in this school will be a huge step, especially for those who share living spaces with endangered species like lemurs. Varibolo Resto was forced to shut down during the pandemic, but with support from VIPs Fund, Patrick reopened in June 2023!
