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Mission Statement

The Lemur Conservation Foundation (LCF) is a small non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the primates of Madagascar through captive breeding, scientific research, education, and reintroduction.

Our institutional goals are:

Conservation: 

To preserve and contribute to the worldwide genetic pool of lemur species through captive breeding and to practice the best conservation possible in terms of both our ex-situ and in-situ efforts. 

The fact that these animals are free-ranging in the Myakka City Lemur Reserve year round, makes for easy transfer to a reserve in Madagascar, should the opportunity arise. The LCF works closely with its sister reserve in Madagascar, Tampolo Forest Reserve. The foundation focuses on lemur species that are not already well represented in zoological parks or other captive breeding programs. We call these "no room in the ark" species or "orphan" species because they are not the big, flashy, charismatic genotypes that can become flagship species for use in attracting wide public interest and funding. Nevertheless, they should be protected for their inherent value and their significance to the larger picture of primate evolution and ecology.

Research: 

To make the lemur colony available for scientific behavioral research to learn more about their basic biology and genetic management. 

The research conducted is non-harmful and is subject to approval by the LCF Scientific Advisory Council. The Reserve has been host to students from New College, the University of Miami. Eckerd College, Yale, Rutgers, Columbia and the University of Arkansas and has welcomed researchers since 1999. 

Education: 

To promote an education outreach program by:

1. Utilizing the reserve as a field training site for students at the university level for short-term classes on logistics and techniques of fieldwork. We are currently working with Dr. Linda Taylor, Professor of Physical Anthropology at the University of Miami and Dr. Natalie Vasey, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Portland State University.

       
2. Establishing the Center for Lemur Studies, a library and unique educational resource center that will make all the existent books, papers, journals and electronic materials concerning lemurs and their ecology accessible in one place for the global use of students, researchers and scholars. This library will also serve as a base for an international consortium of scientists and conservationists working together to secure the future of lemurs.

3. Making presentations about lemurs as representatives of the biodiversity crisis to local schools and community centers in neighboring Florida counties. We are working with local teachers and in accordance with the Florida education strategic plan to ensure that the LCF presentation interfaces with the proscribed curriculum for three targeted age groups.

Updated 2007-10-18