WEEKS FIVE TO EIGHT: PAINTING AND PARADISE

We are back in Fort Dauphin for a few more days off following three weeks in the bush.  Next week we leave for Mahialambo where we will be for the remainder of the scheme, sadly without three of our fellow Pioneers.  Sue left us almost two weeks ago and Josh and Jeremy's departure is imminent.  It will be quite different with just us four girls.  Although we will still have a few of our Malagasy crew, we will miss those who aren't moving to the next site with us.

A TASTE OF THE ACP PROGRAM

I felt very fortunate that we were given the opportunity to sample the work done by the conservation volunteers, even if we did have to walk the 15km to St Luce and back - in the sweltering heat on the day we left and in torrential rain the day we returned.

We participated in:

• lemur behavior - follwing a lemur for 1.5 hours and taking note every 5 minutes of its behaviour, location and type of tree it was in.  Our red ruffed brown lemur rested and slept for a good hour so not too much bush bashing was required to keep up with him.
• herps - taking a night walk to a swamp where we located and identified various reptiles and amphibians, which were mostly frogs but also a type of snake not previously seen by the Azafady researchers in that forest fragment.
• stove building - installing two clay stoves for local residents.
• conservation club - playing and singing in environmental themed lessons for 150+ local kids on Saturday morning.

It was a welcome break from scrubbing floors and painting.

Unlike Mahatalaky where most of the forest has been cleared, St Luce is a little slice of paradise: littoral forest fragments teaming with wildlife (we saw all four types of lemur in the area including the nocturnal woolley, mouse and fat-tailed dwarf lemurs), stunning beaches, delicious tuna and lobster and picturesque hamlets.

Mining rights have been granted over much of the area and although some areas have been ear-marked for conservation, change is coming.

SCHOOL BUILIDING IN MAHATALAKY

From the time we arrived in Madagascar, there had been some doubt that we would complete the school.  So, although it is a little disappointing that we were not in a position to hand it over to the community, we have come a long way and the work we have done is visible - particularly our mural.

We had a very enjoyable leaving do.  The mayor and a few other important people attended in the afternoon along with lots of kids who performed a few dances for us.  In the evening it was our turn to hit the impromptu dance floor where we boogied away with the construction team... in the pouring rain.

WEATHER

When the sun is out, the days are scorching and it can be very hard to do anything particularly with sweat and sunscreen dripping into my eyes.  We were lucky it was a bit cooler in January when we were doing the heavier work.

Numerous cyclones have threatened Madagascar since we have arrived.  The most recent saw the Peace Corp volunteers evacuated to Fort Dauphin, while we all packed up and retreated to the solid comfort of the school buildings.  The storm didn't amount to much in the end.

There seem to be a lot of storms about but we don't generally see much of them, other than a bit of wind and the odd down pour.  Many nights we look up at the clearly visible Milky Way while along the horizons, lightning flares over far away villages.