Dispatches From The Field

31 May 2003 -- Kimberley Marchant

“So, of all places, why Madagascar?” he said. Coming from an American Embassy employee who has been living and working in the country for two years, this time I really had to think about my answer. Now I could have told him a myriad of reasons, perhaps that it was a dream for me as a young ecologist, that I wanted a double dose of winter, or that I had a penchant for swollen, mosquito-bitten ankles. Instead, I said that I came to Madagascar to be frustrated. This response, no doubt, required further explanation.

Before coming to the Nicholas School, I worked at the US headquarters for World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in a small unit dedicated to promoting broad-scale strategies for conservation action. Among other work, we helped to build the capacity of ecoregion coordinators who were struggling to implement action on the ground, while keeping an eye on the big picture. With this foundation, I figure that now it’s time that I experience conservation from another perspective.

My ultimate hope is to return to Durham equipped with a more realistic view of how difficult it is to achieve good conservation. I only expect to be discouraged, to be overwhelmed, and, more than likely, to make mistakes. Quite oddly, if that’s what I am to find, my summer research experience will have proven to be a great success. It’s only day two of my mission, so stay tuned for the next installment of my personal journey.