Madagascar field research & university field schools.

MadaField programmes cover primatology, ornithology, herpetology, entomology, botany, marine biology, geology and community conservation. Depending on the module, participants learn behavioural sampling, biodiversity transects, bird point counts, acoustic monitoring, camera-trap survey design or reef-survey methods. Start with your research question and required skills; the field site and methods should follow those objectives rather than a sightseeing itinerary.

The six programme locations offer different research contexts: Ranomafana for rainforest primatology and tropical ecology; Masoala for ornithology and vanga studies; Kirindy for dry-forest carnivore ecology; Andavadoaka for marine biology and reef surveys; Nosy Be for introductory school fieldwork; and Fort Dauphin for spiny-forest and community conservation. Compare each programme's methods, itinerary and season before choosing a location. Site access and activities depend on the agreed programme and authorisations.

Yes. Undergraduate and taught-course field schools focus on supervised methods training, learning outcomes, assessed work and a Certificate of Field-Based Learning. Academic credit is awarded only by the participant's home institution under an agreed arrangement. PhD and postdoctoral fieldwork follows a separate Researcher Track, built around the researcher's question, methodology, supervision and field requirements. Neither admission to a programme nor a certificate guarantees academic credit or a publication.

MadaField's team includes Malagasy professors, researchers and field professionals with expertise in animal ecology, ornithology, invertebrate systematics, primatology and conservation. Research, park and site authorisations must match the proposed activities. Ethics, community consent and data-sharing arrangements need to be agreed before fieldwork. Wildlife capture, handling, ringing and collaring are reserved for appropriately licensed and permitted personnel; students do not receive those permissions simply by joining a programme.

Timing depends on your target species, survey methods, site access and institutional calendar. Each expedition lists a suggested season, but exact dates and availability are agreed individually. Begin discussions six to twelve months ahead where possible to allow for academic planning and permit timing. Costs are quoted for your cohort according to group size, duration, teaching, equipment and logistics; request a written breakdown of inclusions and exclusions rather than assuming a standard package price.

Send your institution, participant level, group size, preferred dates and study interests through the enquiry form. In the project message, describe your research question or learning objectives, proposed methods and expected outputs, such as a field report, dataset or dissertation component. MadaField can then discuss programme fit and the academic and logistical requirements with you. An enquiry is the start of planning, not confirmation of a placement, site access or a research permit.