AEECL works to connect local communities to the conservation work in their own back garden, empowering them to become ambassadors for wildlife and habitats. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, with many people turning to the land for fuel, food and income. This means that many children never complete their schooling, especially in rural communities.

AEECL is tackling this by supporting the education system in the periphery of the Sahamalaza National Park. AEECL offers a sponsorship programme for students which assists with their school fees, providing motivation for families to keep their children in school. Whilst in school, AEECL can ensure that students are learning about the unique species and habitats around them, and what they can do to conserve them.

Image credit: Lemur Conservation Association

The blue-eyed black lemur is considered Critically Endangered under the IUCN Red List, with as few as 1,000 individuals remaining in the wild. They are threatened due to habitat loss and fragmentation, mining, illegal trapping and hunting, and wildfires, which are now occurring more frequently in Madagascar.

Image credit: Sam Cotton

AEECL also works to conserve other threatened lemur species, such as the Sahamalaza sportive lemur and northern giant mouse lemur. Like the blue-eyed black lemur, these species are also threatened by habitat loss. In response, AEECL is part of a major national reforestation programme, which is working to plant 80 million trees throughout Madagascar. In 2020, AEECL assisted with the planting of more than 11,000 trees in the Sofia region, covering an area of more than eight hectares!

Image credit: Lemur Conservation Association