Mission Madagascar with Helpsimus: outdoor learning classes to discover the lemurs and the forest! (Part III)

'During my mission in Madagascar, I was asked to join the first two outdoor learning classes organized at the Simus School by Helpsimus. These short nature stays allow small groups of children to participate to edutainment activities focus on biodiversity preservation, culminating in a visit to one of the forest fragment where Helpsimus is monitoring and protecting several groups of lemurs.

The objective is simple: children from Helpsimus’ partner villages are given the opportunity to discover their surrounding nature as well as the different animal species protected by Helpsimus, and to raise awareness on the importance of protecting the biodiversity while having fun with their classmates, away from the everyday life problems. In these remote locations, the precarious living conditions of the populations combined with poverty offer children little access to nature, wildlife observation or entertainment.

The activities are spread over two rather intense days: group’s arrival and presentation of the schedule, written pre-evaluation of the children’s knowledge on lemurs and forests, lunch, visit to the forest, educational workshops, dinner and night at the Simus School, post-evaluation to measure the children’s achievements, fun games and drawings, lunch and returning to the village!

All the attendees have volunteered and are very enthusiastic about the idea of discovering the lemurs in the forest. We provide them with binoculars so that they can observe the animals more easily.

We also distribute digital cameras: back at the Simus School the pictures are printed and distributed to the children so that they can keep it as a souvenir of their visit to the forest which seems to have had a strong impact on them: with the help of Helpsimus’ guides who monitor the lemurs, the children were able to observe Greater Bamboo lemurs, Red-bellied lemurs as well as a female Madagascar Long-eared Owl!

This is such a pleasure to see the children observing the animals, taking pictures and participating with enthusiasm in each activity. Direct contact with nature helps us to better convey our messages on biodiversity conservation and turn the children into ambassadors for wildlife. This is also an opportunity (who knows!) to stimulate interest for a career as guide, tourist guide or educator in the future! Pending the training of the future generation of nature’s protectors, outdoor learning classes are also organized at Ranmafana National Park to allow children to discover other lemur species.'

F. Perroux