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Category: Reviews

anna - forest volunteer review
Reviews

Forest Full of Wonders!

 
anna - forest volunteer review
Anna Vindenes
November 2018

I was volunteering in the forest project for 4 weeks and I thought it was amazing. During my time here I got to see wild lemurs, chameleons, and tons of snakes and geckoes. We would hike on Nosy Komba in the morning, these hikes are tough, but they are also beautiful and I think it was absolutely worth every mosquito bite and drop of sweat. I started studying my species before I got here, and that really helped me when I got to camp. It is so much more fun when you know what you are spotting in the forest and you also feel like you are making more of a difference.

The huts are basic, but that lets the ocean breeze in, which is nice on the warmer nights. The food is good and carb based. Most volunteers go to Hellville on Nosy Be over the weekends. From there you can go to different islands, see the sacred waterfalls and do some shopping, and much more.

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Reviews

Forest and Marine Review

 
isabelle - forest and marine volunteer review
Isabelle Hartmond
November 2018

I was both a forest and marine volunteer with MRCI, and enjoyed both programs immensely. Forest allowed me to explore the island, learning the paths between the villages, getting to see the best views of Nosy Komba and the surrounding land. Overall seeing so many cool things like large chameleons, wild lemurs, and bright green geckos. I really enjoyed the hiking and the constant go of the forest program.


The marine program was just as awesome. Diving everyday was a dream come true, especially on the beautiful reef right off the beach by camp. There are so many fish, coral, and reef creatures and being able to explore that reef, as well as learn the creatures on it (active swimmers for me) was amazing. Doing nudi surveys, baseline surveys, as well as getting my advanced open water certification here was so much fun and so easy to do.


The staff for both programs are super supportive as well and are a large part of the reason I enjoyed my time so much. I would definitely recommend either of these programs for anyone interested in nature, whether it is on land or in the sea, both forest and marine give you the satisfaction of seeing it all!

Check out our Volunteer Marine Program and our Volunteer Forest Program

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Reviews

Life Changing Diving Team

 
erin - diving marine conservation 1
Erin Clutter
November 2018

Volunteering with the Madagascar Research and Conservation Institute has been a trip of a lifetime. Being able to dive at least once a day. There is a gorgeously healthy reef right out in front of camp. It has been an amazing way to spend 12 weeks. Being a part of the survey team, tracking the health of the reef over the years and working to make sure it stays protected is truly remarkable. The water conditions are gorgeous and the staff is so amazing. Some truly amazing divers who have shared so much knowledge to help improve my diving skills. The atmosphere was fun as well as serious. Safety is truly a top priority which isn’t something that you always find when it comes to diving. The overall experience here has been life changing in a very positive way.

Check out our Volunteer Marine Program and our Diving School

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Marine Conservation Volunteer Review 1
BlogMarine ConservationReviews

Marine Conservation Volunteer Review

I’m Ellie, a 19-year-old from North East England and I have come to volunteer with MRCI in Madagascar for 10 weeks. Part of the draw to come to Madagascar was the chance to learn some new skills and experience things I have never experienced before. Being part of the marine conservation volunteer team here at MRCI has allowed me to do this and has been both more rewarding and challenging than I was expecting.

With limited swimming experience and zero SCUBA or snorkeling abilities I found that simply being submerged in water with an artificial air source was daunting and nearly caused me to give up more than once in my first session. Had it not been for the perseverance and tough love attitude of one of our instructors, Alex, it’s more than likely that I would not have continued with the course and would not be sitting here now having completed my PADI Open Water course.

Marine Conservation Volunteer Review 2

Our sessions are a mix of scuba skills, species point outs and exploring the fringe reefs that surround our little island of Nosy Komba. Most sessions end with the swim back to shore as everyone reiterates the events underwater, this time with a verbal narration and justification for their actions, such as the time a fellow volunteer mistook Kyle’s instruction to mean to stop and kneel down therefore dividing our group. Needless to say, he was awarded the title of “Dick of The Week”.

As a marine conservation volunteer, we partake in seagrass surveys with Ethan wherein we randomly place quadrats and collect data on the different varieties of sea grass, the area of coverage per quadrat, sediment grain size and whether or not there is evidence of turtles feeding. Other non-scuba activities include turtle watch, which is exactly that, and requires that we record the number of turtles that are surfacing and breathing in the water in order to collect data on population size. This data subsequently needs to be input into a table and stored.

Marine Conservation Volunteer Review 3

We are fortunate that surrounding Nosy Komba there are multiple reefs to explore including Turtle Towers, Verona and Tanikely, just to name a few. This provides ample opportunity to see a wide variety of the abundant species that Madagascar has to offer. Part of our roles as volunteers, upon completing our Advanced courses, will be to partake in species surveys. Therefore, we each choose a group of organisms to study – sessile, benthic or active swimmers. My choice is sessile which, although always in situ, can manifest in many different forms of hard and soft corals, sponges and anemones and within that have many growth forms, colours, and forms of colonization.

Usually we have at least one dive per day depending on conditions, tanks available and number of staff and volunteers. We’ve had the opportunity to do adventure dives such as the drift dive, wreck dive and night dives which are exciting and provide us with new environments not only to explore but to test our skills. The vast plethora of sea life is incredible and not to be taken for granted as you will see things here that you do not get to see anywhere else.

For me, one of the best parts about being a marine conservation volunteer with MRCI is how passionate, enthusiastic and fun the team are about everything that they do. Their knowledge is also unparalleled and their uncanny fervor for Nudibranch’s is entertaining.

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Forest Conservation Review _ Pradeepta
Reviews

Top 5 Reasons to Volunteer with MRCI

01/12/2018

1. The “Local Experience”. We stayed in a campsite located in the middle of the forest, at least 30 minutes away from the nearest village, a life without mobiles and tablets, woken up at dawn everyday by the pet rooster; enjoyed the local diet of rice and zebu(local cattle) meat; hiked daily among the mountains, passing by charming always smiling local villagers scampering by.

2. Expanded my knowledge database exponentially. I am originally from a Biology background, and I have been able to gain so much more knowledge about the endemic species of Madagascar and the ecology.

3. Accumulated valuable Survey Skills. We performed surveys in the forests of Nosy Komba. This was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to observe the endemic species of Madagascar in their undisturbed natural habitat.

4. Met people from everywhere! From Canada to Australia, Iceland to Columbia!

5. Fun, Fun, Fun! This volunteering trip has been possibly the best experience of my life till now.

A big thank you to MRCI 😀

Volunteer with MRCI– Pradeepta

 

Learn More about our

Forest Conservation Program

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