Photography courtesy of the Saint Louis Zoo
Diademed sifaka, a critically endangered lemur, in Betampona Natural Reserve
The Saint Louis Zoo and Missouri Botanical Garden are quietly making a significant impact halfway around the globe.
For decades, the institutions have been working to protect and turn around the loss of biodiversity in Madagascar, home to more than 200,000 plant and animal species, 90 percent of which cannot be found anywhere else.
“They’re having an enormous impact there,” says Patricia Parker, director of the University of Missouri-St. Louis' Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, which will award the institutions with the World Ecology Award in November.
The garden began documenting plant species on the island in the '70s and developed a full-time presence there over the following decade By the late '80s, the zoo also began its work with lemur conservation.
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“I average finding a species of plant that hasn't been named every day that I'm there," says James Miller, senior vice president of science and conservation at the Missouri Botanical Garden. "Every one of us who goes there has a stack of new species awaiting to be described and named—hundreds of them. We can't seem to find the bottom. It sort of wrecks you for working any place else."
At the same time, Madagascar has experienced rapid deforestation over time, with only about 7 percent of the original forest left. "Most of Madagascar has been completely deforested," says Miller.
The garden realized early on that if its work was to continue, it needed to involve the Malagasy people, so the program began to focus on capacity building. After offering training courses, the garden ended up hiring most of the students. Now, most of the 150 staff members living and working in Madagascar are from the country.
Photography courtesy of the Saint Louis Zoo
Villagers planting native trees as part of the Zone of Protection Project in Betampona
The zoo began its work with the creation of the Madagascar Fauna Group, now the Madagascar Fauna and Flora Group. As part of a collaboration with zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, and other interested institutions, the organization works to protect Madagascar’s biodiversity through education, research, conversation, and capacity building.
The zoo’s long-term restoration projects occur at Parc Ivoloina and Betampona’s Zone of Protection. “If you look at a map, you’ll see that Betampona is a fragment but a very well-protected fragment,” says Lisa Kelley, executive director of the WildCare Institute at the Saint Louis Zoo. “I would argue that the only reason it’s here today is because of the dedicated effort of this consortium over the years.”
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Betampona has 11 species of lemurs, three of which are critically endangered, 41 reptile species, 83 amphibian species, and very diverse flora. “It’s a real jewel of a place,” says Kelley.
F.Rasambainarivo
Partnerships are what has made the work so successful. In addition to the partnership between the garden and the zoo, the garden has partnered with the Olin School of Business at Washington University and the Catholic Relief Services on various projects. The Harris Center is an instrumental partner in helping the zoo and the garden with capacity building.
As an education institution, the center provides students with advanced training to be more effective in their home countries. One of the first graduates of UMSL’s biology Ph.D. program was Armand Randrianasolo, a Malagasy who has been employed by the garden since completing his degree. Recent graduate Fidisoa Rasambainarivo was identified by the zoo; after finishing his program, he started a disease-testing laboratory in Madagascar, the first of its kind in the country.
Photography courtesy of the Saint Louis Zoo
Dr. Rasambainarivo with students and colleagues in the lab he founded, Mahalaina
For Kelley, seeing Rasambainarivo come into his own as a scientist is one of the most rewarding aspects of the work. “I’m really excited to see where he’s going to take conservation in Madagascar because he’s extremely intelligent, insightful, and passionate about his country,” she says.
Parker recognizes that giving the award to two institutions who are also partners with the Harris Center is a departure from what they’ve previously done, but, she says, “those two institutions are having a greater impact in Madagascar than any others that I’m aware of.
"They each have been working there for decades, and it’s kind of a well-guarded secret that they’re even doing this. It’s a remarkable thing, the kind of thing that should be celebrated and should be a model for what other organizations can do.”
The award ceremony will take place on Friday, November 15 at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center.
