“In Ranomafana, the trees in the once exploited Talatakely forest have again grown tall and strong; so much so that the Varecia lemurs have reclaimed the canopy as their home. With their calls and the rustling of branches, they welcome numerous visitors, curious students and admiring painters like me, as their daily guests. But the hospitality of the trees reaches far beyond the edge of the forest; it is in the air that we breathe, the soils that grow our food; and the streams that water our fields and fill our pots. But just as they give us, we must give back to them.”
Alain Rasolo is a Malagasy wildlife illustrator and resident artist based in Ranomafana, whose work places art at the core of environmental conservation and education in Madagascar. Deeply inspired by the rainforest and its biodiversity, his illustrations are widely used in local educational programs and conservation projects across the island, translating scientific knowledge into accessible and emotionally engaging visual narratives.
Alongside his work with research and education institutions, Alain Rasolo has collaborated with VOI Mitsinjo, a community-based conservation association active around Ranomafana. Through this collaboration, he has contributed illustrations and visual materials used for environmental awareness, training, and community outreach, supporting local efforts in forest protection and biodiversity conservation. His work with Mitsinjo reflects a practice rooted in community engagement, where art functions as a practical tool to communicate ecological values, strengthen local stewardship, and support conservation initiatives led by Malagasy actors.
Earlier in his career, he worked in Ivoloina Park, a major conservation and education hub in eastern Madagascar. There, he contributed to environmental awareness and outreach activities, developing a strong foundation in biodiversity interpretation, observation of wildlife, and science-based communication. This experience at Ivoloina played a formative role in shaping his approach: using drawing and visual storytelling as tools to connect communities, students, and visitors to Madagascar’s unique fauna and ecosystems.
He later worked with Centre ValBio in Ranomafana, contributing as an illustrator and visual communicator to research, education, and conservation programs. At ValBio, his artwork supported scientific communication and local awareness initiatives, reinforcing his commitment to using illustration as a bridge between research, communities, and conservation action.
Alain is the co-founder and Program Director of oloNala , a creative conservation initiative he developed with Johanna Mitra. Through oloNala, he brings a distinct artistic lens to conservation, combining illustration, storytelling, and education to strengthen relationships between people (olona) and forest (ala). He is currently leading the development of Madagascar’s first environmentally focused art residency, designed to support Malagasy artists who often lack access to time, space, and materials, while preparing them to collaborate with NGOs, research centers, and communities on urgent environmental issues.
https://www.olonala.org/
A Launchpad Fellow at The Safina Center, in New York State, US, Alain has worked on ecotourism, environmental education, and sustainable development projects in Ranomafana, now extended through oloNala’s creative mission. ???? https://www.safinacenter.org/
ARBRES À PALABRES for #dendrophiles edition for Antson’ny tontolo miaina #antsonytontolomiaina
Chapitre 1 – The Guardians #antsonytontolomiaina
Chapter 2 — Trees: histories, symbols, ecological values #antsonytontolomiaina