Centre Valbio's 2014 Annual Report February 8Th, 2015
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Centre ValBio’s 2014 Annual Report February 8th, 2015 Prepared by: Dr. Patricia Wright, International Director Dr. Eileen Larney, CVB Chief Technical Advisor Patricia Paladines, ICTE/CVB Program Officer Erin Achilles, ICTE/CVB Program Coordinator Dr. John Cadle, Senior Scientist Jesse McKinney, IT Manager Dr. Benjamin Andriamihaja, ICTE/CVB National Representitive Pascal Rabeson, Department Head of Monitoring and Partnerships Florent Ravoavy, Department Head of Health and Education Dr. Jean-Claude Razafimahaimodison, Department Head of University Relations Desiree Randrianarisata, Department Head of Logistics and Communications Prisca Andrianabinantsoa, Exective Staff Assistant Table of Contents Vision for Centre ValBio 1-2 Overview of 2014 3-5 CVB Report 6-97 I. CVB Station Use 6 II. Research 9 A. Hosted research 9 B. CVB’s long-term Research 12 C. Laboratories 30 III. Training Programs 34 A. Study Abroad Programs 34 B. Plans to Increase Study Abroad Enrollment and Funding 40 IV. Sustainable Development Projects 43 A. Conservation Education 43 B. Reforestation 55 C. Mobile Health Clinic 58 V. Partnerships 64 A. Commune of Ranomafana 64 B. Madagascar National Parks 64 C. FIMARA and Ampanjaka 65 D. PIVOT 67 E. Friends of Madagascar 67 F. US Embassy 67 VI. Art & Environment Program 68 A. Handicrafts 68 B. Musicians 73 C. Visiting Artists 79 VII. Project and Collaboration Development 84 VIII. Scientific Tourism 87 IX. Film 88 X. Events 89 XI. Conferences, Trainings & Workshops 91 XII. Construction & IT 94 Appendices 97-124 Appendix 1: Research Project Abstracts 97 Appendix 2: Publication List 117 Appendix 3: 2014 Outreach Map 119 Appendix 4: 2014 Outreach Villages 120 Appendix 5: ICTE/CVB U.S.A. based activities 121 Financial Balance Sheet 123 VISION FOR CENTRE VALBIO Patricia C. Wright, Founder and International Director In a year in which lemurs were declared the most endangered mammals on Earth, and a crippling political crisis in Madagascar ended, the Center ValBio has never been better positioned to grow – nor its role more vital. My vision is for CVB to become THE single most important conservation body for all animals and plants in Madagascar. We plan, with bold new fund-raising and media initiatives, to put the unique and amazing biodiversity of Madagascar on the world stage, with lemurs as the ambassador creatures. Madagascar is one of the highest biodiversity conservation priority countries in the world, because of the amazing diversity of its flora and fauna, the endemic nature of its incredible native species, and the high degree of threat. In fact on Madagascar exists the living origins of our primate ancestors and saving these origins, the lemurs, protects our understanding human behaviors as well as human diseases both infectious and genetic. Therefore Centre ValBio, the only modern research station adjacent to the rainforest in Madagascar has as a top priority to save and protect this extraordinary biodiversity, especially the communities of lemurs. As part of that priority, we also study, and protect the people of Madagascar, as their lives are closely entwined with the preservation of their natural resources. In January 2014 the 6 year political crisis ended in Madagascar with the election of President Hery Rajaonarimpianina. Therefore Madagascar has now an incredible opportunity to rebuild and grow its economy. Our vision for Centre ValBio is to grow and expand with this opportunity. Centre ValBio has six main priorities in the next five years. 1) Lead in tropical science. Set global standards for long term monitoring of flora and fauna to understand climate change and forest resilience. Lead in the disease interface of wild animals, domestic animals, domestic pests and people and emerging diseases. Lead in studying genomic medicine in wild primates, increase our knowledge of systematics of forest flora and fauna and the effects of human impact on this biodiversity. 2) Expand the protected forests in the southeast of Madagascar. This includes protecting the 10,000 ha north of Ranomafana, and the forest to Vondrozo south of Ranomafana. Not only do we plan to protect the forests that now stand, but we hope to reforest areas with native trees to connect forest fragments and to reforest riverbanks from the mountains to the Indian Ocean. Much of the reforestation with endemic species will also include economic forest crops such as vanilla, chocolate and peppercorns, all cash crops with high value in the world economy. We hope to receive grants from both NORAD (Norwegian aid) and USAID to accomplish this. 3) Expand Centre ValBio infrastructure to enhance research capacity. This includes construction of the Biodiversity Laboratory, the LovaBe Administrative office, the kitchen, as well as an Amphibian Captive Breeding Laboratory and a Mouse Lemur breeding facility. We also hope to purchase a fleet of vehicles to enable continuing of our current operations and our new endeavors. And to feed our army of scientists, staff and guests…we need a new kitchen. 1 4) Develop more capacity building and training programs in Biodiversity science, genomics, infectious disease research and computer science. Set up fellowships for Malagasy students. Add three new study abroad programs in medicine, sustainability and cultural anthropology/sociology. Continue to expand our village outreach in education and health. Develop new income generating streams, increase the number of international and national workshops hosted at Centre ValBio, as well as augment our scientific tourism programs. 5) Partner with relevant organizations such as PIVOT, GHI. MICET, The Madagascar Ministry of the Environment, Marie Stopes, Madacasse, CRS, ADRA, the local Commune and Regional government, Emory University, Stanford University, University of Antananarivo, University of Tulear, and Harvard University for the expertise to assure this integrated approach is a success. 6) Develop an endowment of 10-20 million dollars and an Endowed Chair for Stony Brook University in Conservation Biology to ensure continuation of leadership of Centre ValBio. Now at the beginning of 2015, with new revenue streams coming from international sources and a whole new approach to fundraising, I am hoping the CVB Board will join Centre ValBio in making this vision a future reality. 2 Overview of 2014 This was a glamorous year for Centre ValBio, filled with galas, film festivals, filming, and international meetings. A February fundraiser sponsored by Stony Brook University showcased a preview of the 3D IMAX film Island of Lemurs: Madagascar. The funds raised were matched by one of ICTE/CVB’s invited guest, Mr. Andrew Sabin, doubling the total raised by the event. The film’s preview was followed by many speaking engagements where CVB founder, Dr. Patricia Wright, had the opportunity to explain the key role that CVB plays toward conservation in Madagascar. The spring months brought a lot glitter to our research and conservation work with the Hollywood release of the IMAX film in late March complete with a walk on the red carpet for Dr. Wright accompanied by film narrator, Morgan Freeman, the Kratt Brothers, Director Dave Douglas, Producer Drew Fellman and Dr. Mireya Mayor. ICTE’s Madagascar National Representative Dr. Benjamin Andriamihaja and CVB’s Head of Logistics & Audiovisual, Desire Randrianarisata traveled to Hollywood to attend the premier. The film shows the beauty and grace of lemurs, and as well as the problems and solutions of conservation in Madagascar. The film’s focus on CVB and our work has substantially increased tourist interest of the CVB research campus and Madagascar in general. The festive spirit continue with the honor of Dr. Patricia Wright being highlighted at the Stars of Stony Brook gala at Chelsea Piers in New York City. The event raised over $4M for Stony Brook University’s scholarship program. The New York Times reporter Claudia Dreyfus interviewed Dr. Wright for an article that appeared in the paper in August. Other year highlights include: Dr. Patricia Wright and Centre ValBio was awarded the prestigious Indianapolis Prize for Animal Conservation, the first woman to receive this “Nobel Prize” in Conservation. Dr. Patricia Wright is awarded Wildlife Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award in NYC. Dr. Patricia Wright is awarded an Honrary degree from the University of Fianarantsoa, in Madagascar. Pascal Rabeson was awarded a competitive ESRI Society for Conservation GIS fellowship to attend a month of intensive GIS trainings and conferences in California. This was an important networking opportunity to launch CVB’s GIS laboratory off the ground and we led in the organization of the first national GIS day celebration in Madagascar at the end of November. At the International Primatology Society bi-annual meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam Onja Razafindratsima, CVB researcher from Rice University, Texas won first prize for her presentation “Seed Dispersal in Varecia in Ranomafana Rainforest” and Rachel Jacobs, CVB researcher from SBU, won third prize. Lydia Tongosoa, another Malagasy CVB researcher, did an excellent presentation at IPS as did Stacey Tecot, Sarah Zohdy, Andrea Baden, Tom Gillespie, and many other CVB researchers. At the Association of Tropical Biology and Conservation meetings in Cairns, Australia in July, Onja Razafindratsima and Andry Rakotonavalona, both CVB researchers, attended and gave excellent talks. Onja won a student prize for her talk. In June, the second Infectious Disease Workshop was held at the Institute Pasteur with