Rewilding Madagascar

While there are many countries recognized for their wildlife, Madagascar’s biodiversity is in a category by itself. It holds one of the greatest concentrations of evolutionary history anywhere and is considered by many to be the single highest biodiversity conservation priority on Earth. In addition to its phenomenal levels of species richness, Madagascar’s most important ecological trait is its spectacular endemism, with the vast majority of its plant and animal species being found nowhere else. The island hosts the highest primate endemism in the world, with an astounding 112 endemic primate taxa, and at the species level, it is home to 21% of all primates globally. In addition to their extraordinary biodiversity and unparalleled endemism, Madagascar’s forests play a vital role in sustaining human well-being, maintaining global ecological health and limiting the impacts of climate change, meriting significant conservation investment.

As widespread deforestation driven by slash and burn agriculture and overexploitation of natural resources threatens forest health, the long-term persistence of biodiversity is compromised. Much of the country’s original forest cover and more than 90% of its natural vegetation, as well as some of its most spectacular species, have already been lost, rendering it one of the world’s most endangered biodiversity hotspots.

Mission

Over the next five years starting in 2025, Age of Union is comited to support the project with $1 million to tackle Madagascar’s forest loss and species extinction crises. Together with local orgnizations and communities, Re:wild will focus its efforts on:

• Forest monitoring and regeneration to restore critical ecosystems.
• Keystone species conservation to protect Madagascar’s unique wildlife.
• Sustainable economic growth to support local livelihoods and long-term environmental stewardship.

The first year plan of the partnership will include:

• Advancing management of priority sites — Re:wild will focus on Madagascar’s Eastern Rainforests with local partners partners Centre ValBio, Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership, and Association des Guide d’Andasibe.
• Catalyzing investment in the nation’s Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) — Recognizing the importance of identifying and conserving KBAs, Re:wild will convene a diverse coalition of partner organizations, government
  collaborators, and local and national stakeholders to launch the process of terrestrial KBA identification in Madagascar.
• Bolstering targeted species recovery — Re:wild intends to launch a funding mechanism called The Madagascar Biodiversity Action Fund, for supporting the conservation of Madagascar’s most threatened species and their habitats with grants of up to $10,000, aiming to improve conservation of chameleons, tortoises, lemurs and small mammals.