Art-based environmental education

Art has long played an important role in developing our understanding and appreciation of the natural world, from the first cave paintings to the first photograph ever taken of Earth from space. By integrating art with environmental education, oloNala seeks to foster long-lasting environmental stewardship, inspire creative and innovative solutions to environmental issues, and connect students with nature in meaningful and personal ways. We're teaming up with local educators and nature guides in Ranomafana, Madagascar, to give students the opportunity to immerse themselves in nature, study concepts in environmental science, ecology, climate science, and conservation, and create art inspired by the natural world.

Our Goals

Education for Students and Teachers

By partnering with local schools, we aim to provide both teachers and their students with the tools they need to explore environmental topics through a creative lens. We will work with educators to develop relevant lesson plans incorporating a wide variety of artistic media.

Creative Outlet, Creative Problem-Solving

Spending time outdoors and engaging in observations of nature's patterns, textures, sounds, and colors offers students the unique opportunity to develop their own personal relationship with the environment. Conveying this connection through their artwork can not only offer a new form of creative expression, but inspire new ways of thinking about and acting on environmental issues and solutions in the students' communities.

Projects

Nature Journaling at the Ranomafana Nature Center

Our Nature Journaling program is off to a great start, with both students and teachers getting involved! So far, we've distributed 27 sketchbooks and colored pencil sets to students at the Ranomafana Nature Center, and the teachers have a new storage unit to house all of their education supplies. Nature journaling is the perfect companion activity to the students' classroom lessons on Madagascar's biodiversity, and we're excited to see what they discover and draw!

The "Quick Start Guide to Nature Journaling" from Wild Wonder Foundation, now in Malagasy 🇲🇬

We are beyond excited to share that, with thanks to the Wild Wonder Foundation, we've created a Malagasy translation of their ever-popular "Quick Start Guide to Nature Journaling!" This zine is downloadable (for free!) on their website alongside many other languages, to make the nature journaling practice more accessible to anyone who wants to start.

We'll be distributing copies to students and educators at the Ranomafana Nature Center, and copies will also be available for free at Studio oloNala, at the entrance to Ranomafana National Park.

Ecosystem Mural at the Ranomafana Nature Center

This mural depicts two Ranomafana students exploring the ecosystems within the forest, from the canopy to the undergrowth. Featuring a sampling of the diverse wildlife found there, the mural will serve as an evocative backdrop to the environmental education lessons that take place at the Ranomafana Nature Center each Saturday. And thanks to Centre ValBio, artist Christian Menabe was invited to paint the mural in early 2025, making it possible for students to learn more about the forest right in their classroom!

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