Madagascar Conservation

Status: Active

Dates: 2024-01-01 to present

I visited Madagascar for 4 weeks in the summer of 2024 to build connections and explore directions for future research projects. Funded by Dartmouth Postgraduate Project Fellowships, I traveled to three protected areas with Dr. David Klinges, an ecologist and friend from undergrad. In each of Andasibe, Ranomafana, and Bezá Mahafaly, we observed and talked with conservation organizations who focus on reforestation and biodiversity monitoring, documenting and exploring roles for future technology in each.

We submitted a manuscript to the 2025 Computer-Supported Co-operative Work (CSCW) conference based on findings from our conversations in Madagascar. The paper focuses on how conservation technology can support job prospects and the acquisition of local ecological knowledge for the communities near protected areas whose economies and identities are closely tied to the land. We are continuing to explore opportunities to develop and deploy technical systems in Madagascar that align with these findings.

Publications from this project:

• CSCW 2025 paper- in review

<img src=’/images/Madagascar_Andasibe_FieldLearning.’jpeg’> A local leader explaining the process for collecting tree mortality data near Andasibe

An Audiomoth acoustic recorder deployed by a partner to measure biodiversity

A partner explaining the tools and processes he uses for radiated tortoise monitoring