Discover and contribute to the sustainable development initiatives of local communities around the Makay massif in Madagascar! Join a solidarity mission and enjoy an unforgettable intercultural experience! Share a genuine human connection by supporting the sustainable development initiatives led by local people in partnership with us. By contributing to projects in reforestation, food sovereignty, education and ecotourism, you will be part of a collective effort to preserve biodiversity and improve living conditions. A deeply meaningful experience, based on mutual support, respect and collective intelligence. All missions in Madagascar.
Objective: to establish a protected area for the Makay
In the Makay region, environmental degradation is closely linked to the precarious circumstances and isolation of local communities. Having been deprived over time of certain forms of autonomy, and faced with population growth, a lack of sustainable economic alternatives and dwindling resources, they are drawing ever more deeply on the massif to meet their needs, leading to a gradual decline in its forest cover and biomass.
With the aim of establishing a protected area for the Makay, our partner works closely with local communities to develop a holistic approach to sustainable development, focusing on social, environmental and economic aspects. It implements practical measures with and for local people to improve their living conditions and well-being, and to promote the local and sustainable management of natural areas.
The initiatives are centred on the three pillars of sustainable development
- Environment: protecting and restoring the environment
- Assistance with nursery maintenance / reforestation / environmental awareness and education…
- Economy: generating income and diversifying the local economy:
- Support for projects in fruit growing, beekeeping, ecotourism, etc.
- Social: meeting the basic needs of local communities:
- Support for projects relating to food sovereignty: setting up vegetable gardens, school canteens, etc.
- Renovation of essential infrastructure: access to education through the construction of schools, access to healthcare through the construction of clinics, access to clean water through the construction of wells, access to electricity …
- Option: support for educational or medical care initiatives.
The eco-volunteer got involved in the current projects
Depending on the needs identified on the ground by our partner’s Madagascan team, you will be deployed to support ongoing sustainable development projects. Assignments do not follow a fixed programme, but are adapted to changes in local activities. Around a month before your departure, the priority needs will be defined, and you will be assigned to the most relevant activities. You will also have the opportunity to discover the various projects run by local communities and to lend a hand where and when needed.
Examples of possible activities
- Field support: maintaining the nursery, vegetable gardens or beehives; planting trees; and carrying out minor construction or development work to support conservation efforts.
- Environmental education: taking part in activities organised in schools and villages, using fun educational resources.
- Creating artistic and/or audiovisual content: If you have artistic and/or audiovisual skills (video, photography, illustration, content creation, etc.), you can keep a diary or capture the beauty of the surroundings. Your perspective will help to inspire wonder, raise awareness and highlight Naturevolution Madagascar’s work to protect the chameleons and reptiles of the Makay Massif.
|
Departure from Tana |
Back to Tana |
Duration |
Price |
|---|---|---|---|
|
19 October 2025 |
31 October 2025 |
3 weeks |
€1,600 |
|
5 April 2026 |
17 April 2026 |
2 weeks |
€1,600 |
|
19 April 2026 |
1 May 2026 |
2 weeks |
€1,600 |
|
10 May 2026 |
29 May 2026 |
3 weeks |
€2,200 |
|
31 May 2026 |
19 June 2026 |
3 weeks |
€2,200 |
|
5 July 2026 |
24 July 2026 |
3 weeks |
€2,200 |
|
26 July 2026 |
7 August 2026 |
2 weeks |
€1,600 |
|
9 August 2026 |
28 August 2026 |
3 weeks |
€2,200 |
|
6 September 2026 |
25 September 2026 |
3 weeks |
€2,200 |
|
4 October 2026 |
16 October 2026 |
2 weeks |
2 weeks |
|
18 October 2026 |
30 October 2026 |
2 weeks |
€1,600 |
Price: €1,600 for two weeks – All costs associated with your assignment, including your flight ticket, are tax-deductible: up to 66% for individuals, 75% if you are liable for the IFI, and 60% for businesses.
Not included in the price
- International flight + airport taxes
- Personal equipment (tent, clothing, footwear, sleeping bags, water bottle, rucksack, head torches, etc.)
- Antimalarial drugs and vaccines
- Entry visa for Madagascar
- Additional drinks and snacks, as well as souvenirs
- Hotel accommodation and any other expenses incurred outside the official dates of the mission
- Cancellation insurance for your flight tickets
Included in the price
- logistics costs
- Transport*, meals, hotel accommodation
- The on-site mission management team
- The equipment required to carry out the mission
- Planning ahead to ensure everything goes smoothly during your stay
* Please note that transport is our main cost item because: The journey to Makay is long and therefore relatively expensive in terms of fuel. The tracks are difficult, which means we have to hire high-quality and therefore more expensive vehicles, which almost invariably entails additional repair costs. For safety reasons in particular, we are obliged to keep the vehicles with us throughout the mission, which extends the hire period and consequently the cost.
- Management fees
- Monitoring and evaluating the outcomes and impacts of missions
- Measures to promote the missions
- The administrative processing of registrations
- Repatriation insurance and third-party liability
- Membership of the partner association
- Donation to the conservation programme
- Salaries for project staff working in the field throughout the year
- Research and development of strategies and measures aimed at ultimately safeguarding the Makay as a whole.
- Travel by our teams required for the development of the project
- The day-to-day management and fundraising activities in France, which are essential to the success of the conservation programme
- Purchases and investments that enable the development and smooth running of projects
- The day-to-day management and fundraising activities in France, which are essential to the success of the conservation programme.
- On-site supervision: these assignments are supervised by our partner’s local team
- Remote areas: You will find yourself immersed in particularly remote and exotic locations, coming into contact with a new culture and new natural ecosystems. You will experience a unique adventure, far from your comfort zone and your everyday routine, whilst helping to protect the treasures of biodiversity that abound in the Makay Massif.
- Unforeseen circumstances and the nature of the project’s activities: Projects may be subject to unforeseen circumstances and are not organised ecotourism trips! Eco-volunteering is a unique adventure, where your role will vary but will always be of great value.
- Physical fitness: You must be in good physical condition; a prior medical examination is required.
- Expected attitude: Be cheerful, open-minded and enthusiastic! These assignments offer a genuine opportunity to meet new people, share experiences and engage in intercultural exchange. Come with an open mind, ready to explore and appreciate other cultures and ways of life without judgement. Working together and drawing on collective intelligence is at the heart of our approach, because the most important thing is to learn together, from one another!
Accommodation
The camps are set up near the village, usually on a beach by the river. You will sleep in your own tent, and dry toilets and showers will be provided.
Food
Meals are taken in the villages and usually provide an opportunity to chat with the locals. We eat local produce provided by the villagers (depending on the season: mangoes, bananas, tomatoes, greens, lamb, turkey, chicken, etc.).
The team drinks water from the rivers, but you can easily filter it. As for water used for cooking, the team always boils it.
A few beers and soft drinks can sometimes be found in the villages,
Transport
4×4 transport from the capital to the Makay Mountains.
Laundry
As conditions on the ground are fairly basic, there is no standard laundry service. Clothes will be washed by hand using an eco-friendly natural soap and local water, so we recommend packing light, quick-drying clothing.
Wi-Fi
As the site is particularly remote, there is little Wi-Fi available on site. This placement offers a unique opportunity to switch off, fully immerse yourself in the eco-volunteering experience, and focus on the environment and conservation work without any digital distractions!
Excursions
Once the project is complete – which can sometimes involve several projects depending on the village – the eco-volunteers set off into the Makay for a 3–4-day excursion, as a final reward for their efforts!
An international
civic commitment As an eco-volunteer, you become an ambassador for raising awareness of the environmental and social issues facing these regions, both in France and internationally. As a first-hand witness, you help to highlight the challenges and the actions implemented by Naturevolution to address them. You will be part of an initiative promoting citizenship and international solidarity, committing yourself as a “global citizen” to the protection of these last remaining biodiversity sanctuaries and the empowerment of local communities in the region.
Essential
financial support Your participation in the mission takes the form of a donation and helps fund various local and sustainable development initiatives in the areas where our partner operates in Indonesia, Madagascar and France!
About our partner organisation
Since 2009, our partner organisation has been actively working to protect and promote the last remaining threatened biodiversity hotspots, notably the Makay Massif (Madagascar) and the island of Sulawesi (Indonesia), two areas of exceptional ecological richness. Born out of scientific and naturalist expeditions, our partner works hand in hand with local and international interdisciplinary researchers to study and document the richness of these unique ecosystems. At the same time, the organisation works closely with local communities to develop a holistic approach to sustainable development, focusing on social, environmental and economic aspects. Through documentaries, exhibitions and educational programmes, our partner introduces these areas to the general public and raises awareness of the urgent need to protect them.
