oloNala

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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from oloNala, Nonprofit Organization, Ranomafana.

oloNala — which means ‘humans’ and ‘forests’ in Malagasy — combines artistic expression and conservation to promote quality education, environmental stewardship, and sustainable development in Madagascar and other biodiversity hotspots.

06/08/2026

One of the recent stops of the Lemur Conservation Network’s ecotrip with Miremby | Community-led tours | Madagascar brought them to the Ranomafana Nature Center, where they were able to partake in a an interactive lesson in the garden - featuring the Center’s new bug loupes and binoculars, courtesy of the LCN’s education supply drive!

These tools allow students to get up close and personal with birds, plants, and insects, offering them an entirely new way to interact with and learn about the natural world. We’re so thankful to everyone who donated to the drive, and can’t wait to see what the students uncover 🔍🐛

03/08/2026

What a pleasure it was connecting members of the Lemur Conservation Network’s first ever ecotrip with VOI Mitsinjo during their visit to Ranomafana! Following a tour of Alain Rasolo’s art gallery, the group went to the nearby village of Ambatolahy to learn about how VOI Mitsinjo stewards 440 hectares of rainforest through a sustainable community forest management model. Also joining were members of the women’s collective Tanamasoandro (more to come about that!!), many of whom are also part of the VOI and run an embroidery business featuring the wildlife of Ranomafana.

we’re so grateful to Miremby | Community-led tours | Madagascar for fostering these opportunities to connect people working across conservation both in and out of Madagascar, for Madagascar 🇲🇬 💚

28/07/2026

Happy World Nature Conservation Day from these cheeky red-bellied lemurs!

We wanted to take this chance to reintroduce ourselves & our mission to any new followers 🦋

is one of the world's most biologically diverse countries, home to many species found nowhere else on Earth (including these guys ^) Yet the stories told about conservation in Madagascar are often dominated by narratives of crisis and collapse. While environmental threats are real and urgent, this singular focus can overshadow the knowledge, leadership, and long-term stewardship of Malagasy communities and collectives who are working every day to protect and restore their ecosystems.

At oloNala, we believe that the narrative of conservation in Madagascar must expand to reflect not only challenges, but also the creativity, commitment, leadership, and innovation emerging from local actors who are deeply invested in the future of their country, their communities, and the ecosystems that support them. Most importantly, we believe that art and creative expression are the best ways to foster the relationships, trust, and shared sense of purpose that make lasting conservation possible. 🌍🌱🎨

We're so grateful to work alongside Malagasy educators, conservationists, artists, and communities to develop creative programs that strengthen environmental and art education, support local conservation initiatives, and amplify Malagasy perspectives in the global discussion around conservation.

📸: Alain Rasolo

22/07/2026

Our cat Zozo has been promoted to Assistant Foreman at the oloNala Artist Residency construction site 🔧🚧 Under his watchful eyes, progress is smoothly being made on the next floor of the studio/gallery space 🥰

16/07/2026

Have you ever taken a photo and realized the animal almost disappeared into its surroundings? 🦎🦉🦋🐸

We're putting together a hands-on nature journaling lesson for the students at the Ranomafana Nature Center about adaptation and camouflage, and we'd love your help!

We're looking for wildlife photos that show animals blending into their natural habitats. During the lesson, students will try to spot the hidden animal before we talk about the adaptations that help it survive in the wild and then draw our own!

If you have a photo you'd be happy to share (not necessarily restricted to Madagascar!) -
📸 Send it to us in a DM, share it in the comments below, or sent it to [email protected]

Please include:
• What the animal is
• Where the photo was taken (general location/habitat is perfect!)
• Your name, if you'd like to be credited

Thank you for helping us inspire curiosity, observation, and a love of wildlife in these young learners & artists!

15/07/2026

We’ve set up a projector and screen at the Ranomafana Nature Center for those rainy days when nature journaling in the garden just isn’t possible 🌧️ A big thank you to from for transporting from the US for us! We’re looking forward to bringing wildlife and ecosystems from across Madagascar straight to students and the wider Ranomafana community through films, footage, and photos. We’re looking for recommendations, if you have any! 🎥

29/06/2026

We’re so happy to share that the women of FAMIOVA’s weaving collective are back in business after a major fire in April destroyed their studio in Ranomafana. Through a combined effort with & , new materials and looms were purchased and set up at their temporary workspace. oloNala’s contribution included two traditional horizontal ground looms, thread, furniture, and groceries for the members‘ families while FAMIOVA’s activities were on pause. There’s already some beautiful scarves and shawls in the works 💛

27/06/2026

Some recent reptilian visitors near the construction site of the oloNala art residency! 💚

Madagascar is home to around half of the world’s chameleon species, including both the biggest - the Parson’s chameleon (Calumma parsonii) - and the smallest - the nano-chameleon (Brookesia nana). Their ever-changing colors and patterns served as natural inspiration for our logo 🖌️🦎

26/06/2026

Arahaba tratry ny asaramanitra! 🎉🇲🇬

Happy , ! VOI Mitsinjo and Tanamasoandro Women's Collective were representing at the parade in Ranomafana town today 💚

📸: Jennifer Hacking

14/06/2026

☀️ Some great examples of the food chain from the Nature Center students! They learned how the sun’s energy (masoandro) flows to the trees (hazo), to herbivores like insects (bibikely), to carnivores like small birds (vorona), to larger birds of prey (papango), and back to the decomposers like mushrooms (holatra). It’s been so wonderful seeing the ways in which each student uses their colors and imaginations to create their own works from the same lesson. Next up in - adaptation and the power of camouflage! 🎨 🦎

Address

Ranomafana

Website

https://www.olonala.org/home

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