40 hrs of fieldwork per week
1:6 staff to participant ratio
Includes GVI ExperiencesAn exceptional career starts with an exceptional internship. Travel to the last remaining primeval rainforest on the island of Nosy Be, home to rare, critically endangered species. Here, you’ll learn how real conservationists manage issues such as illegal logging and poaching and start to master wildlife conservation techniques that’ll set you up for a lifetime of success in the field.
In a competitive world, to get the job you want, you have to stand out. So why not start in one of the most outstanding places on Earth, Madagascar. This is a conservation internship for those who are a little different, because Madagascar is a little different. Most of the species on the island can only be found here. This includes the famous lemur, the most endangered mammal on earth.
You’ll be working to conserve the sole remaining rainforest on Nosy Be island and its at-risk inhabitants in the protected area of Lokobe National Park. Some of the precious species that call this singular old-growth rainforest home are the critically endangered Nosy Be mouse lemur, also known as the Claire’s mouse lemur, one of the smallest primates in the world.
Through population census and biodiversity surveys, you’ll help to gather data on these threatened species. Your work will also help to establish the baseline biodiversity of the forest.
Some of the most significant threats to wildlife in the area are deforestation and poaching. You’ll be learning from local conservationists how they prevent both and get involved where you can. You might discuss with them how they work against illegal logging or how they protect the panther chameleon, an animal frequently poached for the international pet trade. There might also be a chance to support indigenous plant nurseries and help work to establish new populations of traditional medicinal plants.
This internship is specifically useful for someone who has or is actively studying the below subject areas at school, university or college, or has an interest in these subject areas.
Some of the example typical activities you could participate in on this program.
Some of the partners we work with on base.
Our base is located on Nosy Be island – also known as the “Perfumed Island” because of its ylang-ylang plantations, which give off a beautiful floral scent during their flowering season. This island is also renowned for its extinct volcanoes, ancient rainforests and an abundance of rare and incredible species that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, such as the Nosy Be panther chameleon, the Hawks’ sportive lemur and the Madagascan fish eagle. Nosy Be means “big island” in the local Malagasy language, and is located off the northwestern coast of Madagascar.
Fieldwork on the conservation project includes trekking through the Lokobe National Park, (a strict reserve), looking for signs of critically endangered lemurs and the great variety of bird, reptile, amphibian and butterfly species that call this rainforest habitat home. Forest surveys are conducted in the morning or at night. You can catch spectacular sunsets and sunrises over the Indian Ocean. There are bound to be many priceless photo opportunities during the course of your program.
If you choose to complete a community development program, you will assist with teaching the English language – supporting the younger students with the language, as well as assisting with their grasp of environmental education. That will take place in the mornings. English is a vital skill for people to learn as it’s highly sought after in the local job market and tourism industry.
Travelling to and from Fascene Airport takes around 25 minutes, and can be arranged with GVI in advance, to align with your program’s start date.
We want you to make the most of the chance to live in – and contribute towards – the most diverse and unique wildernesses and communities on earth. Introducing GVI Experiences – immersive adventure, cultural and wellness activities exclusive to GVI that have been specially designed in collaboration with our local partners to support and stimulate sustainable economic development.
Enhance your impact. Expand your adventure. Explore your world.
By joining a GVI program, you not only contribute to preserving unique ecosystems but also get the chance to explore the surrounding area or venture further to see what else the region has to offer on weekends.
Our field staff are a great source of advice on local travel options. Many participants choose to travel before or after their experience, solidifying friendships made on the program.
Engaging with a new context teaches global awareness, adaptability and critical thinking – skills highly valued in today’s world. Cultural immersion is encouraged, and there are many activities to enjoy during your free time or before and after your program. Please note, these suggestions aren’t included in the program fee and are at your own expense.
If you’d like to find out what the experience of joining a GVI project is really like, simply contact us and we’ll put you in touch with one of our many Alumni.
We’ll try to match you to an Alum based on your location, nationality, age, stage of academic career, gender, and program interests. This allows you to gain insights into the experience that is most relevant to you.
Depending on your location you might be able to speak to an Alum over the phone or online, or meet up with them face-to-face at a coffee shop nearby. We also run a series of small events around the world where you can speak to GVI Alumni, Ambassadors and staff members.
Program Manager
Meet Padraig, also known as Pod, our Program Manager in Nosy Be, Madagascar. Pod is a passionate wildlife photographer and used to work professionally in the film and TV industr ...
When it comes to support, we ensure that each participant is provided with unparalleled, 360 degree support, from your initial contact with the GVI Family, all the way through your program, and even after, as you become part of the GVI Alumni Team.
As part of this promise, we will ensure, whenever possible, that one of our dedicated staff will be available to meet you at the airport. In most locations, we also set up a Whatsapp group to help with managing airport arrivals.
We will arrange with you prior to your departure that, should you arrive in the agreed upon pick up window, a member of our staff will be there to welcome you, easily identifiable in a GVI t-shirt or holding a GVI sign and wearing a friendly smile.
This means there will be someone there to greet you as you land, and from there you will be transported to your GVI base to start your adventure and meet the rest of your team.
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All of our programs have short-, mid- and long-term objectives that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). This enables us to report on our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, measuring which UN SDGs we are making a substantial contribution to. Furthermore, this will help our local partners and communities measure and visualise their contribution to the UN SDGs.
Prior to your arrival on base, you will be educated about the UN SDGs. Then once you arrive on base, you’ll learn about the specific goals we have in this particular location, our various objectives, and also clarification of how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these.
Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to be an active global citizen after your program, helping to fulfil our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.
Madagascar is home to 5% of the world’s precious plant and animal species, with more than 70% being endemic to Madagascar. Lokobe National Park is the only remaining primary forest on the island. It’s also a rainforest, recognised as a nationally protected area by the government of Madagascar and defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a strict nature reserve.
You will have the opportunity to get involved in vital project work such as behavioural surveys and habitat surveys. One of the focuses being the monitoring and protection of the endemic species that are heavily poached for pet trade. For example, the monitoring of populations and numbers of the panther chameleon, one of the most poached and heavily trafficked chameleon species in the world.
Critically endangered species
The area is home to one species of endangered lemur, the black lemur, as well as two species of critically endangered lemurs, the Nosy Be sportive lemur, known as the Hawks’ sportive lemur, and the Nosy Be mouse lemur, better known as the “Claire’s mouse lemur”. We track these animals and carry out behavioural surveys.
Biodiversity data
We carry out tracking and surveys of other animals in the park, including insects, amphibians and reptiles – during the day and at night. This helps us determine the bioindicators of the park. The park has not been rigorously surveyed since the 1990s, and knowing the health of the park can assist local conservationists, governments and international organisations improve decision-making.
Preventing poaching and the illegal wildlife trade
Despite being categorised as “least concern” by the IUCN when evaluated against the Red List, the panther chameleon is a highly poached and trafficked species, and part of the illegal pet trade. We monitor panther chameleon numbers in the forests to keep track of the naturally occurring numbers in the forest to ensure that the population remains sustainable.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) the GVI Nosy Be research station contributes towards are Goal 13: Climate Action, Goal 14: Life Below Water, Goal 15: Life On Land and Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
GVI Nosy Be’s Long-term Objectives:
1. Monitoring and protection of critically endangered species.
2. Establishing the baseline biodiversity of Lokobe National Park, which hasn’t been rigorously surveyed since the early 1990s.
3. Monitoring and protection of endemic species heavily poached for the pet trade, such as the panther chameleon – one of the most poached and heavily trafficked chameleon species in the world.
