Category: Programmes

One coffee and a warty chameleon, coming right up!

by Shanta Barley, Field Scientist, Madagascar With 57 of the world’s 131 species of chameleon, including the largest and the smallest, Madagascar has a monopoly on the family’s diversity. This unusual individual (see photo, below) was spotted clinging to a...

/ Jan 30, 2012

Connecting the dots…

by Jo Hudson, Science Intern, Blue Ventures Head Office Connecting Classrooms is the joint project between UNICEF and Blue Ventures, which will enhance our community-based conservation programmes through innovative, technological teaching tools for the youth of coastal southwest Madagascar. By using...

/ Jan 26, 2012

Feom’bezo (the Voice of the Vezo) radio show

The Velondriake Management Committee works hard to keep the community informed about its many conservation activities, and how these benefit the community. In September 2011, Velondriake began producing a bi-monthly radio show in partnership with Blue Ventures, called Feom’Bezo (The...

/ Jan 12, 2012

Starting out in Sarteneja

By Casey Lewis, Blue Ventures volunteer, Belize I arrived in Sarteneja, Belize a little after 5pm – just in time to watch the sunset creep over the small town. Sarteneja is right by the ocean with beautiful views of the...

/ Jan 10, 2012

Reporting from the Climate change, deforestation and the future of African rainforests conference

Reporting from the Climate change, deforestation and the future of African rainforests conference, January 4-6, 2012, Oriel College, Oxford University, Oxford, UK by Trevor Jones, PhD, Remote Sensing Scientist Greetings from the opening day of the Climate change, deforestation and...

/ Jan 4, 2012

Diving into the unknown

By Alasdair Harris, BV’s Founder & Research Director, Madagascar The vast reef systems that lie off western Madagascar are some of the least known coral reefs in the western part of the Indian Ocean. Shimmering mountains of calcium carbonate trace the...

/ Nov 21, 2011

Lemurs, Larium and Leanne Rimes: the adventures of the overland tour

By Martine Botha, Blue Ventures volunteer, Madagascar Day One After our first humid night in Antananarivo, we arrived for breakfast at the Hotel Raphia to meet the rest of our fellow BV volunteers and to feast on a standard Madagascan...

/ Nov 18, 2011

Talking Tuna in Tanzania

By Mialy Andriamhefazafy, BV Environmental Policy Officer, Madagascar This week has been a very exciting one in my role as BV’s Madagascar-based environmental policy officer. Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from around the Indian and Pacific Ocean regions have been meeting here...

/ Nov 10, 2011
sea cucumbers tampolove

Another generation of sea cucumbers for Tampolove!

The 26th of September was an eventful day in Tampolove with the delivery of juvenile sea cucumbers for the 12 farming teams.

/ Oct 5, 2011

Life as an independent researcher

By Sam Wragg, Independent researcher, Madagascar Safe in the knowledge that I have plenty of time to write up my third year project when I get back to the UK and with my data collection occurring on a week-on, week-off basis, I’ve...

/ Aug 30, 2011

Check my gear. Check my air. Check my buddy.

By Roger Vaughn, Blue Ventures volunteer, Belize Check my gear. Check my air. Check my buddy.  DIVERS ON THE SIDE….3…2…1…ROLL IN OK the boat, check the time, OK my buddy, and descend. This sequence commences every dive here at Bacalar Chico...

/ Aug 25, 2011

Blue Ventures Belize; so much more than a diving expedition

By Laura Brodie, Blue Ventures volunteer, Belize My Belize adventure started in the quiet fishing village of Sarteneja. Having travelled from London via Cancun, Playa de Carmen, Chetumal and Corozal, I was pleased to have reached my final destination. As soon...

/ Aug 24, 2011

Plenty more fish in the sea? Fish Dependence Day; when domestic fish consumption exceeds Britain’s supplies

Fishing further for your supper; July 16th marks UK dependence on fish from abroad as local stocks fail to meet our growing demand Are there really plenty more fish in the sea? What were once rich and fertile European waters...

/ Jul 18, 2011

From southern Madagascar to Rodrigues: promoting dialogue to share lessons learned in fisheries management

By Alasdair Harris, BV’s Founder and Research Director, Antananarivo, Madagascar Throughout southern Madagascar, temporary closures of octopus fishing grounds are emerging as a popular management tool for this economically important fishery. In southwest Madagascar alone, over 100 such fishery closures...

/ May 24, 2011

Descending the mighty Mangoky

By Alasdair Harris, BV’s Founder and Research Director, Antananarivo, Madagascar The mighty Mangoky river, perhaps best known for its rich mangrove delta bordering the Mozambique Channel, is Madagascar’s biggest, starting its journey in the central highlands near Fianarantsoa, descending between...

/ Mar 9, 2011