Domohina Randrianarisoa

La Mananara Reforestation Specialist

Domohina has over five years of conservation biology and plant ecology research experience. The majority of her fieldwork has focused on floristic inventories, ecological monitoring, ethnobotanical surveys, and plant reproduction. For her Master’s project, she studied the germination and growth of the six Fabaceae tree species in Tsimanampetsotsa National Park in southwest Madagascar.

More recently, she gained experience as an ecological monitoring consultant for the Ambatovy Mineral SA company, assisting on a habitat quality monitoring project in their conservation offset area, and with WWF Madagascar in the New Protected Area of Amoron’l Onilahy. She has also worked on young plant production for the DREDD Vakinankaratra Geante Nursery project in Tsaratanana Antsirabe.

Domohina obtained her BSc in Environmental Management in 2019 and a MSc II in Environmental Management, specializing in Plant Biology, in 2022 from the Institute of Higher Education Antsirabe Vakinankaratra.

Q&A with Domohina

What draws you to a career in wildlife conservation?

I love nature. Madagascar has exceptional wildlife wealth, which should be protected.

Who or what inspires you?

Documentaries about Madagascar’s biodiversity and conservation have greatly inspired me.

What book has influenced you or made a strong impression?

Fauna and Flora of Madagascar by Lucille Allorge-Boiteau and Maxime Allorge, discusses the incredible biodiversity of Madagascar and the importance of conservation. It made a strong impression on me.

What is one of the coolest experiences you’ve had in your work?

My internship in Tsimanampetsotsa National Park in southwest Madagascar. I was in awe studying the magnificent plants like Adansonia, Tamarindus, and Albizia that were being cared for in their restoration nursery.

What is your favorite food?

My favorite dish is a local breed of chicken, called akoho gasy, accompanied by rice.

What is your favorite movie?

I prefer the kind of movie with an adventure in the forest.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go, and why?

I want to visit the protected areas in mainland Africa and see giant animals like the elephant.

Besides lemurs, what is one of your favorite animals, and why?

I like amphibians, especially Madagascar’s endemic Mantella frog species with their beautiful colors.

Why do you care about Madagascar and its wildlife?

Madagascar’s wildlife is exceptional and symbolic of the country; however, it is currently threatened by many pressures throughout its natural habitat. I want to contribute to the restoration and conservation of these threatened habitats.