The one reassurance I always give to people who ask me
"Isn't it dangerous?" is that there is nothing
in Madagascar that can kill you. I had not considered the
man-eating Nile Crocodiles in the local lake however...Madagascar
has many surprises and some of them bite.
The project here is a perfect example of how 'ecotourism'
can really make a difference. The local village are our
hosts. They have built the campsite we use as a research
station and the women from the village cook our meals. The
value to the local economy allows the people to preserve
the forest for visitors to see and thereby helps protect
the precious ecosystem.
Yesterday we saw the alternative. When the forest is cut
down for firewood or commercial charcoal production nothing
else but dry grass will grow. When the rains come, the soil
is washed away and the results are truly shocking. We stood
at the top of a valley and looked down on desolation. A
washed-out canyon of red earth where nothing lives and which
will never recover.
So, as I rest up my blistered feet today and ponder the
future of this wonderful place it is obvious that when the
local people are given the opportunity and education to
make an alternative to the traditional practices which can
cause so much damage, they will make the most of it. For
people who are so warm, friendly and hard working, this
is no less than they deserve.
And as for the forest and its diverse animals, it deserves
to survive too.
