Alley of Baobabs, Madagascar - Conservation International

Madagascar is unlike any place else on Earth. It has been separated from other land masses for almost a hundred million years. As a result, evolution there has proceeded along a separate track from any other region. The vast majority of plants and animals you will find in Madagascar are unlike anything you may have seen before. In western Madagascar, the Alley of Baobabs is one of those unique landscapes. The Alley is a major regional tourism draw. While tourists spend thousands of dollars on plane tickets, hotels and tours to get there, the people on whose land this marvel exists get nothing. In order to survive, local communities are raising water levels to expand rice paddies that increase the stress on the baobabs. Funded by USAID, Conservation International and the Malagasy NGO Fanamby are working to reverse this situation. They are developing a project to improve the competitiveness among small businesses involved in the tourism supply chain. This video invites you to learn more about the ecotourism project and to cooperate with the conservation efforts to save this natural treasure.

For more information, visit www.conservation.org or www.ecotour.org

General Production: Andrea Margit

Field Production: Varsy Andrianarivony, Haroldo Castro, John Martin, Nirina Rajaonarivelo, Daniela Rakotomamonjy Hilarys Ramiandrasoa, Andry Randriantsoa, Hajasoa Raoeliarivelo, Seracom Madagascar, Art Wolf

Photography: Luciano Andriamaro, Nina Kolbe, Olivier Langrand, Russ Mittermeier, Piotr Naskrecki, Daniela Raik, Mamonjy Razafafindrakoto

Narration: Bob Holmcrans

Music and sound design: Daniel Magnani

Editing, post-production and motion graphics: d2R Studios

Translation: Nina Kolbe, Daniela Raik, Eric Ramarijaona, Andry Randriantsoa, Hajasoa Raoeliarivelo, Aina Ravelojaona

CI Ecotourism Project Team: Neel Inamdar, Kathryn Kelly, Nina Kolbe, Daniela Raik, Andry Randriantsoa

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Madagascar
• baobab
• ecotourism
• value
• chain
• grassroots
• outreach
• nonprofit
• government

[soukous70]

No,dont hate tourists,my friend.Sadly,without tourism,local residents must resort to depleting their natural resources in order to survive. Tourism stimulates local economies,without having to live only off the land. Living off the land is fine,but overpopulation has thrown off the traditional give/take balance that people have typically enjoyed in the past.Don't blame tourism,blame logging and lack of birth control education!

[stealth423]

It looks like philly, detroit or new orleans.

[HenryDavidT]

Baobabs are very similar to the giant saguaro and sequoia --- each is incredibly unique and majestic in its own environment, playing an integral part in the local environment's health... standing as giants that last hundreds to thousands of years. Homo sapiens are the only animals who could & would destroy these majestic organisms, which took evolution millions of years to prepare, in cutting, shaping, & packing them to be the sublime plants they are...

[444german]

Madagascar is a great place to go to!

[bosco923]

rob32909 kilograms of imbecility, as I said, it is not thanks to stupid-ass like you that the the west made great advancements but thanks to those westerners who have built bridges,who have conceived lights,those who have found out about DNAs, not those like u who have a low-esteem of themselves. Go to Sciences-Po paris to get an MBA, learn french and german, then we will litsen to you

[bosco923]

Precision: I was just addressing this comment to rob, as a result of his stupidity and superciality.

[bosco923]

the other way is also to castrate imbeciles like you so the world would be a much better place to live in. People like you act like terrorists and if you ever come to madagascar, they will strip u naked in case you attempt to blow them!!!

[rehcamuhs]

stealth423 hahaha. Bush doesn't care about Madagascar.

[BenjamimRM]

I wish I could go there to see this INCREDIBLE trees.

[rob32909]

These savages breed like vermin. We should give them a choice - stop having so many children, or else White countries will stop shipping you food and medicine. Either way will get the population to decline; one way through a lower birth rate, the other through a higher death rate, lower life expectancy, and higher infant mortality.