Dr. Abigail Ross Foundation for Applied Conservation

05/31/2026

We are filled with gratitude as we look back on the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Andasifahadimy Community Healthcare Clinic and Education Center.

A heartfelt thank you to the people of Andasifahadimy, the Commune of Andasibe, and everyone who joined us to celebrate this milestone. This clinic was built through partnership, dedication, and a shared vision for a healthier future.

We are especially grateful to our amazing TDARFAC volunteers, who worked tirelessly to organize and prepare the clinic. Your hard work made this day possible.

Special thanks to Justorien Rambeloniaina and Jhoanny Rasojivola for their leadership, commitment, and countless hours of work to bring this project to life. What an achievement!

We are incredibly proud of our team and excited for all that is to come. Most importantly, this is not TDARFAC’s clinic—it is a clinic for the community. We hope it will serve generations of families with healthcare, education, and opportunity.

If you are interested in participating in educational workshops and sharing your expertise with local communities, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us to learn how you can get involved.

Together, we are building healthier communities, healthier forests, and a healthier future. 💚

05/23/2026

Yesterday was a very special moment as we celebrated the ribbon cutting of the Andasifahadimy Community Healthcare Clinic and Education Center.

What began as an idea and a dream is now a reality built through partnership, hard work, and the belief that healthy communities and healthy forests go hand in hand.

A huge thank you to Dr. Justorien Rambeloniaina and Jhoanny Rasojivola for their leadership and tireless dedication, and to all of the TDARFAC volunteers who worked so hard to help make this day possible. Many hands came together to build this, and today is only the beginning.

We are also so proud to welcome Midwife Briela and Nurse Ronal, who will help lead this clinic and serve Andasifahadimy and many surrounding communities with compassion and care.

Thank you to our partners, supporters, local leaders, and the entire Andasifahadimy community for believing in this vision. Together, we are building something much bigger than a building. We are building hope, opportunity, health, and a stronger future for both people and forests.

Today was not an ending. It was the first step forward.

Help stock the clinic with essential medicines, vaccines & a small refrigerator to store them in, mosquito nets, educational materials: https://gofund.me/fc01928e8

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all primate moms — and to every kind of mothering heart.

To moms raising children, caring for furry families, supporting communities, grieving loss, trying, hoping, mentoring, nurturing, and protecting others in quiet ways — today is for you too. 🤍

🐒 3 quick facts about primate maternal behavior:
• Many primate mothers carry their infants almost constantly during early development.
• Infants learn social skills, feeding, and survival directly from their mothers.
• In some species, mothers maintain lifelong bonds with their offspring.

From lemurs to humans, maternal care helps shape the future of entire communities.

05/09/2026

Happy Int’l Chameleon Day from all of us at TDARFAC! 🦎🌿

Today, we are excited to share in the celebrations with the amazing Ankizy’ny Ala Club at Mitsinjo led by Irène Toutoune Ramanantenasoa — inspiring the next generation of Malagasy conservation leaders through environmental education, curiosity, and a love for Madagascar’s incredible biodiversity.

Madagascar is recognized as the global center of chameleon diversity, harboring nearly half of all known chameleon species, many of which are endemic and highly specialized to specific forest ecosystems. These reptiles play important ecological roles as insect predators and serve as indicators of forest health and ecosystem integrity. Protecting Madagascar’s remaining forests is critical for conserving this extraordinary evolutionary diversity and the ecological processes that sustain it.

05/09/2026

May 9 is Int’l Chameleon Day 🦎

Chameleons aren’t just masters of color—they’re vital to healthy ecosystems. Yet over 75 species face growing threats.

Madagascar holds an extraordinary share of this diversity. Protecting forests means protecting their future.

Awareness starts the journey. Action saves the species.

05/05/2026

We recently had the opportunity to engage with a visiting group from Road Scholar, sharing insights into TDARFAC’s work and the broader challenges shaping biodiversity conservation in Madagascar. 🐒🌳

The discussion highlighted interconnected, collaborative initiatives — from contributing to the restoration of the Andasibe–Mantadia–Analamazaotra forest corridor, to supporting a Community Health and Education Center in Andasifahadimy, and working alongside local children’s clubs to strengthen environmental awareness from an early age.

These exchanges are a reminder that conservation here is never isolated — it lies at the intersection of ecosystems, education, and community well-being.

Grateful for the dialogue and perspectives shared. 🤝🎗️

04/27/2026

We are incredibly excited to share the projects selected for funding through the 2026 TDARFAC Grants Program.

This year, we received 48 proposals, each reflecting passion, dedication, and a commitment to applied conservation. After a rigorous, double-blind review process, we are honored to support the following projects:

✨ 2026 Grant Recipients & Funded Projects

• Adelakun Kabir Adekunle
A Community-Based Population Survey and Applied Conservation Initiative for the Nigerian-Cameroon Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti) at Omo Biosphere Reserve, Nigeria

• Adolphe Lehavana
Mobilising Local Communities in Bezavona Forest to Collect Lemur Data in Support of the Establishment of a New Protected Area

• Eliette Noromalala
Impact of Mammal Community Composition on Parasite Dynamics

• Toussaint Rabary
Enhancing Conservation of Varecia variegata editorum by Investigating Natural Forest Health Related to Seed Dispersal and Deforestation and by Conducting Reforestation in Mahatsara, Madagascar

• N. Nancia Raoelinjanakolona, PhD
Restoration of Lemur Habitat Through Research and Community Engagement

• Nguyen Huu Quang Vinh
Population Status and Conservation Threats to the Critically Endangered Black-shanked Douc (Pygathrix nigripes) in Song Hinh Forest Complex, Dak Lak Province

• Florent Tafita
Empowering Local Guardians: Community-Led Monitoring of Endangered Primates in the Anjiamangirana Forestry Station

• Mirana Maëlys Tolojanahary
Acoustic Monitoring and Health Investigation in Propithecus verreauxi and Lemur catta in Angavo and Analavelona Protected Areas, Madagascar

To all applicants—thank you. Your work gives us hope, and we are honored to be part of this global conservation community.

👏 Please join us in congratulating this year’s recipients!

https://www.foundationforappliedconservation.org/recipients

04/20/2026

A new feature by Mongabay.com highlights what integrated, community-driven conservation can look like in action.

👉 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gR7WtRkD

This reforestation corridor connecting Andasibe-Mantadia and Analamazaotra is already showing real impact. Native forest is being restored, local livelihoods are supported, and small lemurs like Microcebus lehilahytsara are already moving through the landscape again just a few years after planting began.

What makes this work:
🌳 Native seedling reforestation
🦎 Early wildlife use
🤝 Strong community partnerships
🏥 Health, education, and livelihoods integrated into conservation

Proud to be part of this work alongside partners, and to see it gaining global attention. It’s a powerful example of how conservation and community wellbeing go hand in hand, and a model that can continue to grow across Madagascar and beyond.

Image: the dedicated planting team restoring native forest, transforming a landscape of challenge into future wildlife habitat.

04/14/2026