Restoring the Future: Rebuilding Efatsy-Manombo’s Forests, One Tree at a Time

Renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity, Madagascar has experienced continuous forest loss over the past two decades. This ongoing deforestation threatens not only unique ecosystems, but also the livelihoods of the communities who depend on them.

Today, conservation must go beyond protection alone. It requires restoring degraded landscapes, planting more trees than are lost, and ensuring that every seedling planted has the chance to grow into a resilient, living forest.

With this long-term vision, GERP has established six community-managed nurseries around the Efatsy-Manombo forest, operated by 18 local nursery workers. These nurseries aim to produce 300,000 native forest seedlings and 15,000 fruit trees, supporting both ecosystem recovery and local food security.

The impact is already tangible. To date, over 20,000 native seedlings and 4,000 fruit trees have been produced, and planting activities are underway. Local communities, particularly women’s associations, are at the heart of this effort, working closely with GERP teams to restore degraded forest areas.

In Efatsy-Manombo, forest restoration is more than planting trees. It is about rebuilding ecosystems, strengthening communities, and securing a sustainable future for Madagascar’s forests and lemurs and this was all possible because of the unwavering support of SOS Lemurs.