THE PEREGRINE FUND INC

Madagascar: due to an immense diversity of endemic species and rapid rates of habitat loss, madagascar is one of the world's highest conservation priorities. The peregrine fund's madagascar program has rediscovered 3 endangered species, created four national protected areas (pa) totaling 189,036 hectares (467,118 acres), assisted 29 local community associations surrounding the pas and has provided financial support, training and educations for two post-doctorate degrees, 12 doctoral degrees, 79 master of science-equivalent degrees and 21 bachelor of science degrees to malagasy university students, and currently there are 32 students (4 phd, 22 msc and 6 bs) being supported with their field work and writing up theses. (continued on schedule o)raptors and other biodiversity monitoring: at the two wetland sites, tsimembo-manambolomaty and mandrozo pa, for the critically endangered madagascar fish eagle 29 territorial pairs were recorded with 11 young fledging and 5 pair, respectively. Waterbird surveys at the two wetland sites 36 species (6 threatened) composed of 6,627 individuals and 38 species (5 threatened) made up of 3,168 individuals, respectively. Lemur monitoring recorded 502 individuals of 10 species at the pas. At the northern site: bemanevika pa, waterbird monitoring recorded 26 species composed of 9,986 individuals (7 threatened species) including the critically endangered madagascar pochard (82 individuals). For reforestation activities at the four pas a total of 159,407 sapling trees were planted in 115 hectares by 4,174 local association members and families.for public environmental education: 16 information panels were installed, and 630 posters and 10 portable rollup banners were displayed at the surrounding villages of the pas. Various activities were carried out on the environmental education campaign such as, organizing seven public events in four villages for world mangrove and world wetland days, the national environment and forest days, the pond heron festival, and the tsimembo and mandrozo games with 4,075 local people assisting in the organized events. In addition, students of the environmental clubs and local community members participated in environmental education activities and in the stabilization of 6 lavaka (soil erosion stabilization) campaign.benefits to the local communities and associations surrounding the four pas were: at tsimembo-manambolomaty pa - provided 250 kg of crop seeds for 58 households comprising 60 kg beans, 60 kg peas, 60 kg black eyes and 70 kg cowpeas, and 50 local households got support of a new kubota motorcultivator for the field labor; at mandrozo pa - a business plan on coconut plantation was elaborated for a local agricultural group; and at bemanevika and mahimborondro pas - 44 household beneficiaries were trained in vanilla agriculture and received 1,400 vanilla stems to be planted, four refrigerator for poultry vaccination campaign and 64 persons (pilot households) were trained on the confection of the kamado cooking stove at 3 villages 25 street lights were distributed and installed in 12 villages. Spread among the four pas for student education at the local community schools' donations included: 15,600 copybooks, and 140 chairs and tables for 4,000 pupils, supporting salaries for 10 teachers and rebuilding one school building. For the pas local associations: 62 local people were trained on agroforestry and started practices in 28 ha in total. In addition, 10 local farmers attended an experience exchange visit with fitafa farming group at antsirabe. At all pa sites training workshops organized for the local associations, concerning the capacity building on the activity management, natural resource community management, tree nursery, locally making of energy efficient cooking stoves, community patrols, participatory ecological monitoring, six new groups of vsla (village savings and loan association) were created involving 131 members (89 women and 42 men), on gender, and on community diagnostic for local development planning.