The project particularly welcomes applications from people who are studying or have studied zoology, ecology, biological/environmental studies or science, conservation or other related courses. The project is also suitable for people interested in a future in conservation or biology, and not-for-profit organisations, NGOs or sustainable development in general, and will offer them invaluable experience towards pursuing a career in these sectors. Although volunteers are not required to have previous experience or knowledge in these areas, people with interest in these fields will make ideal candidates.

All volunteers will need to be:

• Flexible 
• Team players
• Reasonably physically fit
• Able to "rough it" 

Introduction
people and places was conceived to ensure meaningful experiences for volunteers and communities working together.

There is much debate about the validity of volunteering by the traditional "Gapper" - post school or university, but we believe that you DO have real skills to share, and that with good management and planning, your skills can help to make a real difference in the communities we serve.

We've worked with our local partners and communities with whom we already work to design volunteer placements for "Gappers" that will be meaningful, responsible and sustainable. You can be sure that you’re not replacing local employment and that your work will be part of a larger programme that is helping vulnerable communities build the future they would want for themselves.

A placement in this project will be challenging, rewarding, meaningful, frustrating ... and fun! It will help you develop your personal skills too - but that is not the priority - the priority is to help local people create a better future.

The Project
As a grassroots development and conservation organization, at the heart of the charity’s work is an integrated approach to the needs of the Malagasy people and their unique environment, sensitively built around what local people have expressed as their most critical needs, maximising community participation. Although there is  a skilled and dedicated team made up of Malagasy and non-Malagasy staff in the south-east of the country, much of the work is dependent upon our volunteers.

Over the course of the Programme, as a volunteer you will have the opportunity to learn how a small NGO operates and the inherent challenges that it faces when working in a developing country. More specifically you will be working on projects in the field and gaining understanding of the various methods used to conserve Madagascar’s fragile environment – integrating research on endangered flora and fauna with community initiatives such as reforestation and environmental education.

Volunteers can choose from five core modules which cover the different aspects of this conservation work. These 2-week modules in Lemur Study, Biodiversity Research and Monitoring, Reforestation Work, Environmental Education and Construction can be taken individually, or combined, so individual programmes can be between 2 to 10 weeks long.
 
Whilst you are welcome to stay for just one 2-week module, the program has been planned so that volunteers may combine modules to stay longer and get a real overview of the integrated way this project approaches conservation, or gain in-depth insight into one aspect of the work by taking one module for up to 10 weeks. The programme provides a unique opportunity to tailor your experience to your interests and needs while contributing to an on-going conservation project at the forefront of holistic international conservation work with local communities.
 
Below is more detail on the work carried out on each of the modules available: 
 
Lemur Study
Volunteers will aid research on the impact of forest fragmentation on lemur populations. The forest in this area is one of only three significant areas of southern littoral forest remaining in Madagascar, however human impact has resulted in the forest becoming severely fragmented, threatening the existence of many species of flora and fauna, including many species of lemur. Research methods will include presence-absence surveys in each of the forest fragments, surveying and monitoring of lemur population levels, examination of Eulemur collaris resource use, botanical composition of the forest fragments, and assessment of human impact and disturbance.
 
Biodiversity Research & Monitoring
This module works in unison with the Lemur Research component to collect data on the flora and fauna of the littoral forests. It will specifically focus on the two palm species Dypsis saintelucei and Beccariophoenix madagascariensis, and the gecko species Phelsuma antanosy – all three of which are categorised as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Volunteers on this module will conduct research to discover the abundance and distributions of these species within the forest fragments and assess their risk of extinction by examining the threats they face.
 
Reforestation Work: ‘Volyhazo’
This module helps to protect native forests and improve the livelihoods of local communities by providing sustainable sources of timber and firewood. The project also helps communities to reduce their resource use through the promotion of fuel efficient stoves which also reduce health problems associated with the burning of wood in the home. Depending on the time of year, volunteers will be planting trees, seed collecting and/or propagating seedlings in our tree nurseries, with the aim of assisting our partners in reaching its target of reforesting 80 hectares of land. Volunteers will also work with members of the community to train them in the construction of fuel-efficient stoves and promote the use of Moringa oleifera – a plant termed the ‘miracle tree’ due to its exceptional nutritional value.
 
Environmental Education
The lives of the people living in Sainte Luce are highly dependent on the environment. However, little or no environmental education is taught in schools and any knowledge that communities possess has been passed down through the generations. The aim of this module is to provide long term environmental education for the schools in the region with volunteers preparing and presenting environmental education lessons assisted by our partners and translators. This module will take advantage of specially adapted Malagasy versions of the acclaimed PACE Action Sheets, which were developed by Siren Conservation Education and used in many parts of mainland Africa
 
The Madagascar Lemur Research & Conservation project offers a fantastic opportunity to experience the fascinating Island of Madagascar and work to conserve its unique and endangered environment. This is work is by no means easy, the work of a researcher can be challenging - be prepared for adventurous journeys, long walks in remote forests and beautiful project sites - but rest assured the work is incomparably rewarding and, most importantly, you will be contributing to important conservation initiatives designed to work with the local communities.

Context
Set in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa, Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island and has a colorful and unique human culture as well as breathtaking natural scenery and flora and fauna found nowhere else on Earth. Eighty per cent of the island's plant and animal species (including 71 species of lemur) are found nowhere else on earth. Extreme poverty poses an enormous and ongoing threat to the island's staggering biodiversity, not least through deforestation caused by slash-and-burn agriculture. Many unique species have already been lost whilst many others, including some as yet un-described by science, face extinction.
The local team responsible for managing this project and caring for volunteers is a registered UK charity and registered as an NGO in Madagascar. 

"Most of my best memories ever are from moments in Madagascar…The work was interesting and working with an NGO allowed me to feel part of the local communities in a way that I never could have done as a tourist." Volunteer on Lemur Study 2009