Our forest and botanical garden
Zazamalala is an oasis of wilderness adjacent to small villages and rice fields.
It is a deciduous forest around ponds, characterized by a wide variety of timber trees, huge baobabs, lianas and orchids. Some examples are Rosewood (Dalbergia ssp.), Ebony (Diospyros ssp.), Palmyra palm (Borassus madagascariensis),and Monkey ladder (Entada rhedei). This is the habitat of animals, such as Red-fronted lemur (Eulemur rufifrons), Fosa (Cryptoprocta ferox), Narrow-striped mongoose (Mungotictis decemlineata), Wild bush pig (Potamochoerus larvatus), Hedgehog tenrec (Setifer setosus).),), Dumeril’s boa (Acrantophis dumerili), Giant chameleon (Furcifer oustaleti), and Spiny-tail iguana (Oplurus cuvieri).
Zazamalala is renowned for spotting rare birds, such as Sacred ibis (Threskiornis aetkiopicus bernieri), Giant coua (Coua gigas), and Vasa parrot (Coracopsis vasa drouhardi).
Rare nesting birds are Humblodt’s heron (Ardea humblodti), Madagascar pond-heron (Ardeola idae), Olivier’s rail (Amaurornis olivieri), Crested drongo (Dicrurus forficatus), and Bangs Vasa parrot (Coracopsis nigra libs). At Zazamalala most Malagasy birds of prey can be spotted, such as Frances sparrowhawk (Tachyspiza francesiae), Henst’s goshawk (Astur henstii), and Madagascar harrier-hawk (Polyboroides radiatus). The diversity of reptiles is impressive and includes 18 species of snakes, 3 chameleons (Furcifer ssp.), and 6 Day gecko species (Lygodactylus ssp., Phelsuma ssp.).
The Zazamalala botanical garden includes a stunning collection of plants from the spiny forest of South Madagascar, such as the Zigzag plant (Decarya madagascariensis), Aloe occidentalis, Euphorbia tulearensis, Pachypodium baronii, and Alluaudia humberti. There are numerous palms from all over the world and lots of flowering shrubs. Here we collect seeds for the Zazamalala reforestation program. The botanical garden is also a tortoise and turtle breeding centre with six different species.
Our location
Zazamalala is a private nature reserve in western Madagascar. Zazamalala is easily accessible year-round along RN35, about 35 km (21,748 miles) from the beach at the city of Morondava. From the Morondava airport to Zazamalala takes 35 minutes by car.
Our vision
Zazamalala is dedicated to restoring lost forests across West Madagascar. To accomplish this, more organisations are required. For the time being, we are settling for expanding the Zazamalala Forest to 1,000 hectares (471,05381 acres) in 2030. Moreover, we will plant thousands of threatened trees from the IUCN Red List and conserve them for our children and grandchildren, e.g., Grandidier baobab (Adansonia grandidieri), Riverside majestic palm (Ravenea rivularis), and Maroseragna (Moringa hildebrandtii).
Our achievements
- Zazamalala was created from scratch and turned into a beautiful forest that hosts countless threatened animals.
Over the years, thousands of Malagasy schoolchildren and students have visited the Zazamalala Forest. They learned about the importance of the forest for the climate and the future of humanity.
Each year, thousands of tourists visit the Zazamalala nature reserve and have a fantastic wildlife experience.
Zazamalala hosted more than a hundred scientists and students who conducted research in the forest.
Zazamalala gave paid work to thousands of local people and improved the economic situation of numerous members of the community.
Zazamalala supported education by means of repairing schools, constructing school benches, providing books and notebooks, and by paying the salary of teachers. Zazamalala also constructed latrines for two schools.
Zazamalala constructed water pumps for clean drinking water and improved the infrastructure in the vicinity of the forest by, for example, constructing bridges and upgrading roads.
Zazamalala distributed about 1,000 ADES solar cookers among the local women for their cooking, thus making them partly independent of fuelwood from the forest.
Zazamalala paid money to an estimated 2,000 local people so they could visit the medical post in the village of Mahabo or the hospital in Morondava. Hundreds of local people were helped with medication, and about 100 underwent critical care surgery in Morondava. A few patients were treated in the capital, Antananarivo, for severe medical problems or because they needed a lower limb prosthesis.
Our team
Zazamalala has a staff of enthusiastic people, both in Madagascar and in the Netherlands.
Dr. Simon Rietveld
Chairman
Simon is a blind retired medical psychologist from the University of Amsterdam, winner of the IG Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2010. Most often you will find him in the botanical garden or the tortoise breeding centre.
Jocelyne Farazanamalala
Board Member
She was born in Toamasina, eastern Madagascar, but lived in the Netherlands for 30 years. Jocelyne is in charge of the Zazamalala nursery, filled with thousands of seedlings of rare plants and timber trees.
Amos Frank
Board Member
Amos was drawn to Zazamalala because it uses a holistic approach to resolve the very serious issues of deforestation, the imminent existential threat to very rare species and improving the lives of local people. All in one fell swoop.
Sahondra Marguerite
Support
I am a independent woman living in Antsaribao, which is adjacent to Zazamalala. I came to work at Zazamalala as a girl and still work as chef household. I do not talk much and certainly not in a western language, but I make you happy with good food! My smile will be around from breakfast till dining. My special job at zazamalala is to take care of the animals in the garden, the tortoises, parrots and … baby crocodiles. That’s enough for me.
Lezafitahiry Velson
Guide
Everybody calls me Tahiry and I am the tourist guide of Zazamalala. I speak also French and tell you all about the animals and plants. I came to Zazamalala as a lemur specialist and never left. Zazamalala is so beautiful and I am looking forward showing you around!
Frank Bracht
Board Member
I am a tax specialist in the Netherlands and was instantly touched by the uniqueness of the Zazamalala project. Not only providing help to an extremely poor and under developed country, but also working on nature restoration. My job is checking the Zazamalala finances, just as I did for so long at Deloitte.
Joe-Mickuel
Support
I am the personal assistant of Simon and Jocelyne. I am handy in general and particularly smart with equipment. I help with the determination of animals and plants, cook a European meal, and may have to catch the snake that enters your shower. In short, I help men and beasts with whatever comes my way.
Mr. Jean Yves Razanatson
President of the Zazabe Association
I am a Morondava lawyer and I know Simon and Jocelyne since 2000. I am the president of the local organization and visit Zazamalala each Saturday.
Our partners
Treesforall
Trees for All is a Dutch non-profit foundation aiming for a green and healthy world. They provided the Zazamalala Foundation funding for 200 hectares of reforestation. Moreover, we exchange knowledge and experience for the improvement of reforestation and silvy culture in the tropics.
Ades
ADES, An NGO from Switzerland, produces energy-efficient cookers in Madagascar and encourages the use of renewable energy. The use of climate-friendly solar cookers and energy-saving stoves saves large quantities of wood and charcoal. The Zazamalala Foundation purchases the cookers and gives them to local women, after they worked for five days in the Zazamalala nursery. ADES is also involved in providing micro credits to villagers and sometimes brings students to the Zazamalala forest.
Onszaden
This Dutch webshop is one of the leading providers of rare plant seeds in Europe. They continuously sponsor the Zazamalala reforestation project and we also receive rare seeds from them.
Ministry of environment, ecology and forests Madagascar
The local branch of the Ministry of Environment and Forests of Madagascar provides tree seedlings in exchange for black earth. Moreover, we share knowledge and experiences.