The situation in Madagascar is bleak.

More than 90% of the entire country’s forests have been destroyed.

Furthermore, 75% of species found in Madagascar do not live anywhere else on Earth. That comes out to 250,000 different types of plants and animals. Of these species, 90% live or rely on the forest trees!

That means once the remaining forests disappear, these species will be gone forever.

It is for this reason that 8 Billion Trees decided to make Madagascar one of our main re-forestation areas. By Planting in this hotspot we can make a tremendous impact for each and every tree that makes its way into the ground.

Many of the trees in Madagascar are of the mangrove variety. This species of tree has a very dense root structure that helps to stabilize soil, preventing harmful erosion while also creating a climate barrier between the land and nearby ocean. Other types of plants including those of the dry deciduous species are also important for preserving the diversity of Madagascar’s ecosystem.

Currently, 8 Billion Trees partners with Eden Reforestation Projects and ForestNation to carry out planting in Madagascar. Furthermore, Eden is part of a network of tree planters that includes two National Park systems within the country. This close relationship allows us to restore many of the natural habitats that contain some of the most diverse and intriguing animals on the planet—like lemurs!

There are three areas of Madagascar where tree-planting efforts take place:

• Northwest Madagascar along the coast
• Northwest Madagascar inland
• Ankarafantsika National Park

In these areas over 2,700,000 trees are planted each and every month!