Transformative Conservation Inspired by Insects

Mamy Ratsimbazafy, entomologist and Founder of SEPALI Madagascar, shares his insights on purpose-driven leadership and the importance of putting local values first in conservation.

From insect scientist to founder - An entomologist by training, Mamy Ratsimbazafy leads Sehatry ny Mpamokatra Landy Ifotony, the Organization of Wild Silk Producers (SEPALI Madagascar). His organization works hand-in-hand with Conservation through Poverty Alleviation International (CPALI) to deliver locally-led programming in northeastern Madagascar. Together, they innovate nature-positive textiles that are connected to global audiences through the shared social enterprise, Tanana Madagascar. (Photo: Matthew Scott Photography)

This month, CPALI sat down with SEPALI Madagascar Founder and Director Mamy Ratsimbazafy to discuss his journey from insect scientist to non-profit leader, and his thoughts on community-led development solutions and arts-based social enterprise.

What first sparked your interest in insects and the natural world?

My fascination with our island’s biodiversity began in my childhood. Today I live in the northeastern rainforest region of Madagascar, but I was born in a Betsileo community on the central plateau. As a child, I was fascinated by the small creatures around us that most people overlooked. My mother raised butterflies and moths in our home garden and she taught me about insect lifecycles. I spent hours observing their behavior in nature, and I was captivated by the role insects play in sustaining natural systems—from pollination and nutrient cycling to supporting so many other forms of life. My early curiosity became a lifelong passion. 

Hidden in the leaves - While many conservationists focus on Madagascar's charismatic megafauna such as the island's remarkable lemurs, Mamy is drawn to smaller subjects like this Antherina suraka silk-spinning caterpillar. (Photo: Rachel Kramer/CPALI)

Was there a defining moment when you realized entomology would become your life’s work?

For me, the defining moment came in my academic field research. My first job was serving as a research assistant to the British entomologist, Dr. David Lees, from the Natural History Museum London. Together, we explored little-known Lepidoptera (winged insects, including butterflies and moths) of Madagascar. When I finished my degree, there weren’t many opportunities for insect specialists. Luckily, I was contacted by an American evolutionary biologist, Dr. Catherine (Cay) Craig. Cay needed help setting up a wild silk rearing program on the margins of our island's northeastern rainforest. I wasn’t familiar with the Lepidoptera species in that landscape, but I knew enough, and I knew I could learn the rest. I joined CPALI in 2006 and leveraged my scientific training. I replaced passive observation with a system-based lens that viewed ecosystems and human communities as interconnected. I found that entomology doesn’t have to end with scientific discoveries – it can shape conservation and community development pathways. 

Magnificent moths - A recently emerged Antherina suraka wild silk moth in the SEPALI Madagascar demonstration garden. In the rainforest ecosystem of northeastern Madagascar, many species of insects and animals prey on wild silkworms at different stages of their lifecycle (egg-larvae-pupae-moth). These range from mosquitos to spiders, ants, stink bugs, wasps, preying mantises, and geckos. Mamy and his team teach local farmers strategies for successfully rearing native silkworms to adulthood on native host plantings. Trained farmers then collect their wild silk cocoons without harming the pupating moths. In 2011, Mamy produced the Guide for Rearing Wild Silkworms of Antherina suraka (Saturnidae) to help local farmers. (Photo: Matthew Scott Photography)

What species inspire you the most?

I’ve studied many fascinating endemic insects in Madagascar. But the species that have had the greatest impact on my path are wild silk moths. Particularly, the Madagascar comet moth (Argema mittrei), Madagascar bullseye moth (Antherina suraka), Madagascar ghostly silk moth (Ceranchia apollina), and the little-known communal cocoon-building endemic, Hypsoides singularis. Studying these species has taught me that their survival is inextricably linked to the economic resilience of people who live alongside them.

Elusive silk spinners - Very little is know about the ecology of many of Madagascar's wild silk moths. The small library at the SEPALI Madagascar office helps local artisans learn about nature's architects behind their Tanana Silk. (Photo: Rachel Kramer/CPALI)

How did your path evolve to leading programs with social and environmental impact?

As an entomologist, my field observations made it clear that habitat loss was being driven by poverty and a lack of local economic opportunities. A turning point came when I was doing research along the border of the Makira protected forest area. I encountered local fathers clearing rainforest to grow rice to feed their children. Seeing the freshly cut trees, I knew my scientific data were useless if the people living alongside the forest were trapped in a cycle of poverty. 

In your experience, what is the connection between conservation and economic opportunity?

In a biodiversity hotspot like Madagascar, trying to protect a forest by putting a fence around it always fails if the people outside that fence are hungry. Lasting conservation only happens when protecting nature becomes the most profitable option for a local community. From the beginning, we knew we had to treat communities as partners, not as threats to ecosystems. In 2009, I founded Sehatry ny Mpamokatra Landy Ifotony: the Organization of Wild Silk Producers (SEPALI Madagascar) with the support of CPALI. My transition from entomologist to the leader of a nationally-registered independent non-profit let me apply my scientific training to insect conservation in ways that directly benefit local people.

Local leadership for transformative impact - Mamy and the SEPALI Madagascar agroforestry team plant native host trees for wild silk moths together with farmer leaders on deforested land near the Makira Natural Park and Masoala National Park buffer zones. Host plants for wild silk caterpillars are regenerated alongside agricultural staples like shade coffee, clove trees, fruit trees, and raffia palms that offer natural fibers. This integrated agroforestry approach respects local values and helps support food security until host plants mature and silk rearing pays economic returns. Since 2024, participating farmers have planted 50,000 trees under the CPALI-SEPALI Madagascar regenerative agroforestry initiative. (Photo: Rachel Kramer/CPALI)

How do you build trust with communities that may initially be skeptical of conservation initiatives?

I build trust by not approaching local communities as an outsider with a pre-made plan, but as a listener who prioritizes their immediate human needs over my ecological goals. Skepticism is a valid survival response for communities that have historically seen conservation as restrictive rather than as a source of opportunity. 

Can you share a story where a local partnership transformed the outcome of a project?

The defining example is when we sought to expand wild silk production into a degraded buffer area near the Makira rainforest. Initially, the community was deeply defensive. They viewed our project as an attempt by outsiders to seize land and restrict traditional agricultural practices. The breakthrough came through a partnership with a respected local elder and farmer named Jaonary Jean.

Instead of trying to convince the whole village all at once, we worked exclusively with Jaonary Jean to establish a small demonstration plot on his own land. We planted a native tree called “talandoha” and introduced larvae of the endemic Antherina suraka silk caterpillar. When the first harvest of wild silk cocoons arrived, Jaonary Jean didn't just collect cocoons, he brought in a substantial, immediate cash payout from selling them to us. The value far exceeded what a swidden rice harvest would have yielded on the same acreage. Seeing this tangible success, skeptical village elders reversed their stance. Jaonary Jean transitioned from a solo partner to his community's primary conservation ambassador.

First farmers - Mamy sits with Jaonary Jean and others from the first local farmer group to be trained in sericulture (wild silk farming) two decades ago. (Photo: CPALI Archives)

How do local communities shape the design and success of your programs?

Local women artisans are the backbone of our success. Transforming nature-positive materials into high-value, marketable art for Tanana Madagascar is incredibly challenging and also very rewarding. By earning a reliable income, women can directly invest in their families' healthcare, food, and education. By involving artisans in shaping our programs, they help to magnify our impact.

Scaling participation from village-based artisans - Mamy and artisan mentors from the SEPALI Madagascar team lead a training in the village of Ambalamahogo near Makira Natural Park in May 2026. Since 2025, 90 artisans have begun learning to tablet-weave raffia, collage wild silk, and produce coiled raffia and other crafts without leaving their families and home communities. As skill levels improve, items crafted from the nature-positive materials can be sold for needed income. (Photo: Rachel Kramer/CPALI)

How has your understanding of “impact” changed over the years?

Early on in my career, I measured impact through academic and ecological metrics -- published scientific findings and species population data. Over the years, my perspective has fundamentally shifted. I now think true impact is measured in human resilience and community behavioral change. Today I measure impact by the number of mothers who earn independent income from artisanal silk processing, the number of farmers who change from clearing forest to regenerating it on their land, and the communities that have food security while living in harmony with nature.

I’m inspired every day that I see farmers transform from hunters and harvesters into nature’s regenerators through wild silk. By leading SEPALI Madagascar, I prove to the world that empowering local people through economic dignity is the most powerful conservation tool we have.

Partnership across oceans - The SEPALI Madagascar and CPALI teams collaborate on program co-design with shared purpose. To meaningfully engage local farmers and deliver a successful social enterprise, Mamy, Rachel Kramer (CPALI Executive Director), and their teams leverage entomology, conservation strategy, creative design, and business acumen. The two organizations' current leaders have known each other since 2006, when they both first worked in northeastern Madagascar. (Photo: CPALI & SEPALI Madagascar)

What lessons from studying insects influence your leadership style today?

Studying insects has taught me that the most resilient and successful systems are built on collaboration. Insects thrive not because of centralized control, but because each individual plays a clear role and contributes to a shared purpose. That lesson influences my approach. I know that change is only lasting when people feel empowered, valued, and connected to a common mission.