Environmental consultancy Tyler Grange is funding a community-led project in Madagascar as part of an international conservation partnership with Chester Zoo.

Announcing a £10,000 investment, Tyler Grange is supporting projects delivered by Chester Zoo and Malagasy biodiversity organisation Madagasikara Voakajy to restore degraded rainforest while creating stable, paid employment for local communities.

In restoring 20 hectares of land in the Mangabe Reserve, split between natural forest and agroforestry, the funding will cover the running costs of two community plant nurseries in the area.

Madagascar is a country where around 90% of species are found nowhere else on Earth and biodiversity must be protected, explains Tyler Grange.

The project is expected to fund more than 6,800 people who depend on these landscapes, especially since the Reserve has lost more than 6,000 hectares of forest in recent years due to slash-and-burn agriculture, logging and charcoal production. Now the landscape has been classified as critically endangered, “this support from Tyler Grange enables us to protect the rainforest while working alongside local communities to build sustainable futures,” says Francia Lauréa Samoelah, communication officer for Madagasikara Voakajy.

Jon Berry, co-founder and managing director of Tyler Grange, comments:

“This partnership is about backing practical, community-led solutions to biodiversity loss and climate change. It reflects our commitment to creating positive environmental and social impact beyond the UK.”

The conservation project funding will also cover salaries, equipment and essential resources for the nurseries, including tools, protective clothing and infrastructure.