Some of you may have seen my first blog that followed my adventures studying abroad in Madagascar. I currently no longer have access to that blog, but here is a link to a single post that I made on our shared student experiences blog.
A Quick Overview
I traveled to Madagascar through a study abroad program ran by Stony Brook University on Long Island. Me and around 13-14 other students stayed at Centre ValBio, a research station located right outside of Ranomafana National Park.
This program opened my eyes up to the diversity of the world. Not only was I lucky enough to spend time in one of the most biodiverse areas of the world, the human culture was also very different. Poverty there was normal and it has stuck with me how lucky I am to be living in the United States.
Throughout the program, each student conducted an independent research project. Some of the research helps to understand the human induced changes in the rainforest. Madagascar currently only has ~10% of the rainforest that it had before humans showed up to the island. The effect us humans have on the Earth seems to have been exacerbated by the small size of the island. The free student labor can help to guide policy changes in Ranomafana National Park and help the locals find new economic opportunities.
Maybe one day in the future I will blog more in depth about my travels in Madagascar. Or I’ll get the old blog up and running again.
Until then, you’ll be hearing about my new travels in San Francisco.
-Mark