About Us

Salama! I'm a Malagasy self-taught wildlife painter and graphic designer, based at the edge of Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. My formal education is in Environmental Science and Biodiversity Conservation. Aside from doing art for art's sake, I've had the chance to work with several conservation and education organizations such as Madagascar Fauna and Flora Group, PLAY Madagascar, Centre ValBio and Manga Maso, for which I create outreach and educational materials. I am also a current Fellow at The Safina Center, a nonprofit based out of New York. With their support, I opened my first art gallery by Ranomafana National Park in 2023, and have been able to help VOI Mitsinjo, a local community organisation that manages part of the Ranomafana forest, improve their infrastructure and outreach. I am deeply motivated to convey the beauty and importance of Madagascar's wildlife through art and to continue contributing to its conservation efforts through oloNala. You can view my work on Portfolio Box.

Having worked for conservation non-profits in various roles, including environmental educator, communications officer, graphic designer, and researcher, I’ve learned the value of science communication and storytelling in fostering an appreciation of the natural world. I'm excited to bring that to oloNala and look to combine my applied conservation research in Madagascar with oloNala's creative mission. I am currently a Master’s student in International Nature Conservation at the University of Göttingen, Germany, and Lincoln University, New Zealand, and an MBA candidate at the Quantic School of Business and Technology, where I am focusing on conservation non-profit work. I received my Bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University, USA, in Ecosystems and Human Impact and Geospatial Science in 2022. Connect with me here!

Sydney graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) with her Master’s in Environmental Science in 2021. Her thesis research evaluated wetland mitigation projects across 38 sites in New York State. While conducting her research, Sydney worked with a number of collaborators spanning government agencies, private entities and non-profits. Her passion is in understanding socio-ecological relationships, where she uses her research skills to inform on-going project implementation and management. In 2023, Sydney received a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct independent research in Ranomafana, Madagascar. While living abroad for nine-months, Sydney evaluated a community-based conservation initiative that had been operating in the Ifanadiana District since the early 2000’s. She developed and piloted her evaluation protocol aiming to understand the achievement of the program’s intended impact while also maximizing outcomes and helping provide data driven guidance for the future. Now a PhD student back at RIT, Sydney is excited to combine her love of Madagascar with her skills in program evaluation to ensure that oloNala's programs are as effective as possible, every step of the way. We're lucky to have her on our team!

Daria is a Senior Account Executive in public relations, working with clients in the climate space, including carbon credits and solar energy. A 2022 graduate of Smith College, where she first developed her passion for climate and sustainability issues, Daria studied anthropology and Chinese language and culture. In her senior year, she developed a Fulbright research proposal focused on natural solutions to climate mitigation in Shanghai, using anthropology to take a comparative look at the meanings and manifestations of climate change worldwide and how it is understood differently across cultures. Daria's passion for climate action and understanding of PR and media are especially appreciated when it comes to helping us get the word out about oloNala, and we're grateful to have her help!