Lily-Arison René de Roland

Madagascar is home to many endemic species under threat. I came to direct the Peregrine Fund’s Madagascar Program in 2004 and have helped create community-based conservation of protected areas—nearly 200,000 hectares of rainforests, dry forests, wetlands, mangroves, and savannas—substantially improving the lives of those nearby. I work to develop the capacity of local people and groups to manage these areas. Despite substantial degradation of the country’s natural resources, our management approach ensures that the various ecosystems remain intact and support threatened species. Local management of fisheries enables communities to sustainably harvest 600 tons of fish for both sustenance and income during a six-month fishing season, while leaving enough fish in lakes and time for fish to breed, which, in turn, supports critically endangered fish eagles.