# Frog conservation breeding in Madagascar



## SutorS (Feb 20, 2011)

Hey all,

I'm going to attempt to keep this short! 

I'm returning to this May to Madagascar to help accelerate a frog breeding program near Tamatave. I have been to the island once before and was asked to return, as a volunteer, for my previous experience with the country, my experience breeding frogs here in the states, and my experience with conservation and agroforestry in Madagascar. 

I am working on two grants for the project, neither of which will come through before I leave. I Have opened a GoFundMe to assist with my initial flight, hoping the grants will cover my return (though that is not the primary purpose of the grants). 

*I am asking my fellow amphibian conservationists to check out my page regardless of whether you will donate.* The page includes details as to why I am raising money, what I will be doing over in Madagascar, and a bit about me. I kept it fairly general I look forward to sharing the progess of the project periodically while I am overseas. Any comments or criticism are welcome - please inbox! Thanks in advance for reading,

https://www.gofundme.com/madafrogconserve

Sean

(if this is unallowed for any reason, please let me know and I will seek removal)


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## hroney (Aug 22, 2015)

Soava dia e! I lived in Madagascar for 2 years (2010-2012.) I lived in Tamatave for 6 months. I am fluent in Malagasy and have a lot of good friends all over the island. Feel free to let me know if you want any help with the language, culture, etc. Keep us posted on everything! I'm excited to see pictures and hear stories. I'm envious - I want to go back to Madagascar so bad! But the flights are expensive $$$$$.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SutorS (Feb 20, 2011)

Haha! Misoatra! Sounds like we were there at the same time - I was mostly at Parc Ivoloina. Sending you a private message. Thanks for posting - it is expensive, partially why I am seeking support!! 

I am taking a leave of absence from work but still must cover my benefits (suspended during leave) and rent in my absence. They want me to come back occasionally which, I hope, will be covered in the grants I am writing for additional supplies and some construction on the building. It is expensive even with a paid flight, but ignoring the home costs, it's cheap once you're there.


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## SutorS (Feb 20, 2011)

I'd like to share with you all the results of this post.

I've since returned from eastern Madagascar where I was volunteering to assist in regenerating momentum for the 2nd ex situ frog breeding facility in Madagascar. My primary purposes was to increase capacity for live foods in the facility and to generally get things up and moving again. 

I started a GoFundMe to assist in getting to Madagascar in the short notice I was needed. With travel costs, rent and health insurance coverage in my absence, etc. it was going to be costly. The GoFundMe was very successful. I received help from friends, family, teammates, coworkers, other frog conservationists, students, and strangers; people from the US and abroad. Additionally, it connected me with a lot of good people and raised a lot of interest regarding amphibian conservation. I get a lot more "just moved this (insert toad or frog) off the road" pictures in my phone than I used to! 

Additionally, a few weeks into my work I was notified that we received the field conservation grant I had applied for: $3,500 for the project.

There is still much to be done with the project. In Madagascar, things can be very slow going. Additionally, something simple here in the US may be very difficult to get done - and it's easy to forget this no matter how familiar you are with the country. For this reason, I believe the greatest accomplishment was simply restoring confidence in the project, from the local staff working with the project to folks in the UK, US, etc. I will be returning in 2017 to continue work with the project. I am writing a few formal writeups for a few organizations and will share this with you all.

I'd like to thank DBoard. I am not a very frequent poster, but much of my success and failures, knowledge gained, and inspiration came from reading, posting, and receiving advice, constructive criticism, and support over the past decade. DBoard will now more than ever be a useful resource for me and others involved with this project. Cheers all you frog people,

Sean


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