From October 2025 to June 2026, Lamoty Conservation carried out the second phase of the “Acting for Nature Conservation” project, led by Youth Conservation/PAPACO in partnership with the Fondation Audemars-Watkins and Play for Nature. In the Sambava district, four schools — including one newcomer that joined mid-year — brought concrete awareness-raising, reforestation and sustainable agriculture activities to life, with a clear goal: making teachers and young people the true drivers of environmental protection.
A Renewed Partnership, Four Schools Engaged
Building on a successful first phase, Lamoty Conservation continued its support to the EPP Andamoty primary school, the CEG Andamoty middle school and the Lycée Andamoty high school — before being joined mid-project by a fourth school, Lycée Privé FJKM Sambava Centre, at the request of its own administration. A sign of the program’s growing reputation among local education stakeholders.
EPP Andamoty: Embedding Eco-Responsible Habits from Primary School
At EPP Andamoty, home to 1,000 students, the focus was on embedding everyday eco-gestures and setting up a shared tree nursery serving all three long-standing schools in the area — a choice driven by safety and pedagogical pooling. The school’s 15 teachers were trained to durably integrate these themes into their teaching.
CEG Andamoty: Beautifying the School to Anchor Eco-Habits
At CEG Andamoty, home to 740 students and 37 teachers, the project trained nine students and one teacher as Nature Ambassadors, and led a beautification effort in late February 2026: fifty young trees — flame trees and neem — were planted on school grounds, both to create shaded areas and to showcase ornamental and medicinal species. A meeting with parents in November 2025 introduced vegetable gardening techniques, followed by the garden’s installation in March 2026.
Lycée Andamoty: Nature Ambassadors Reaching Their Peers
Lycée Andamoty, home to 324 students and 25 teachers, stood out for how its young people engaged in raising awareness among their peers, reaching beyond their own school. Eleven students and teachers trained as Nature Ambassadors took part in reforestation campaigns, nursery upkeep and environmental celebration days throughout the school year. Radio broadcasting training rounded out the program, giving young people new tools to carry their message beyond the school walls.
Lycée Privé FJKM Sambava Centre: A New School, Fully Engaged
Joining the project mid-way at its own administration’s request, Lycée Privé FJKM Sambava Centre — home to 1,500 students and 30 teachers, meaning its entire student body was reached — launched its activities in December 2025 and January 2026. The school was equipped with materials for eco-citizen activities (bins, watering cans, spades, rakes), before running recycling workshops and awareness-raising radio broadcasts, alongside training its own Nature Ambassadors.
At Association Headquarters, Environmental Education All Year Round
Beyond its partner schools, Lamoty Conservation opened its headquarters every Wednesday and Saturday from October 2025 to June 2026, welcoming 1,053 children for educational film screenings, environmental quizzes, recycling workshops and celebrations of major international environmental days. A highlight of the program: an educational visit to Marojejy National Park, giving young people direct immersion in one of the region’s richest ecosystems.
Impact Figures That Exceed the Targets
In total, this second phase reached 4,724 people: 3,564 students across the four schools (1,000 at EPP, 740 at CEG, 324 at the high school, 1,500 at Lycée FJKM), 107 teachers mobilized or trained, and 1,053 additional children reached at the association’s headquarters. On the family side, 500 parents were directly trained in gardening techniques at EPP and CEG Andamoty, and roughly 4,000 parents were reached more broadly — an estimate based on the relay effect of students sharing what they learned at home, best read as an order of magnitude rather than a direct measurement.
A Mobilized Community, Recognized Partners
Beyond the schools, the project drew the interest of local authorities — the mayor, district chief and regional chief — as well as the Regional Directorate for the Environment. Lamoty Conservation also strengthened ties with leading conservation organizations in Madagascar, WWF and Madagascar National Parks, which manages Marojejy National Park, further embedding the association within the region’s environmental protection ecosystem.
Challenges Faced Head-On, with Field-Level Solutions
Phase 2 was not without obstacles. Collectively mobilizing parents around vegetable garden management proved more difficult than expected, with engagement not always sustained despite initial interest. Bringing Lycée Privé FJKM Sambava Centre on board — not accounted for in the initial budget, which was calibrated for three schools — required reorganizing resources. Climate disruption also weighed on the schedule: delayed rains pushed back several garden-related activities. Finally, some landowners’ reluctance to dedicate land to large-scale reforestation remains a challenge the association continues to address through dialogue with communities and local authorities.
Looking Ahead: Toward a Future 19,700-Hectare Protected Area
Beyond environmental education, Lamoty Conservation holds a broader ambition: contributing to the conservation of local biodiversity. Following discussions with local authorities, a roughly 19,700-hectare zone has been identified as a potential future Protected Area. The association intends to continue engaging stakeholders to advance this project, and is actively seeking new technical and financial partners to support it.
The network of Nature Ambassadors, school environmental clubs and trained teachers now form a solid foundation for Lamoty Conservation, which continues its commitment well beyond the scope of the “Acting” project.
👉 To learn more about the “Acting for Nature Conservation” project and its 10 partner NGOs, visit youth-conservation.org.
If you want to know more about the NGO, you can contact them directly via Facebook.
