By Kame Westerman, Velondriake MPA Project Coordinator, Andavadoaka, Madagascar.
The success of Blue Ventures and the Velondriake Locally Managed Marine Area has attracted a great deal of attention from other organizations implementing community conservation activities. In late May, Velondriake members welcomed a group of 15 community members from a village several hours to the south.
The group, representatives of a conservation organization called Honko (‘mangrove’ in Malagasy), travelled to Andavadoaka to learn about Velondriake’s structure, governance, and conservation initiatives. Visits like this one are important for fostering information exchange between community conservation practitioners who would not otherwise have the chance to learn from each other.
