Silent Sentinels

Madagascar, 2009

Whilst on an evening walk in the southern spiny desert of Madagascar, I caught the silhouette of a row of baobabs silently watching over the arid landscape. Like most of the biodiversity found on the island nation, this particular species of cactus-like trees are unique to Madagascar, and likewise, they are all under threat. The entire country has undergone drastic development and many communities are now feeling the cost of losing their last remaining patches of vegetation, especially in the grips of drought and famine. There are, however, people who are still fighting to rebuild these once-thriving ecosystems and spark life in a land that never lost its wild heart.