Duke Lemur Center celebrates $2.5 million gift to fund Colony Curator role Posted on August 10, 2026 by Mary Paisley, Development Director The Duke Lemur Center (DLC) is proud to announce a transformational $2.5 million gift from Duke Trustee Michael G. Rhodes B.S.E. ’87 and Maureen C. Rhodes. Their generosity establishes the DLC’s first-ever endowed […]
We’re pleased to share the August 2026 issue of the Duke Lemur Center’s Madagascar Programs Update. DLC Conservation Update, August 2026 Dear valued friend and supporter, The last few months have been incredibly productive, and synthesizing all our activities for this update has been especially meaningful to me because the outcomes are becoming increasingly tangible. […]
Successful Inauguration of a New Protected Area: The Ambanitaza Biocultural Landscape Community-led Conservation for Long-term Stewardship James Herrera, DLC Director of Conservation On July 9, 2026, the new protected area, Ambanitaza, was inaugurated after four years of planning, fieldwork, and deliberations. Almost 1,000 attendees celebrated this grassroots initiative. The protected area contributes to a worldwide […]
This summer [June 2026], the Duke University Office of Climate and Sustainability welcomed the Duke Lemur Center as part of its integrated unit—six teams working across the university to build a strong future. Duke University recently was awarded $4.4 million from The Duke Endowment for DLC support, including a newly created academic director position. Primatologist and Duke […]
By James Herrera, Ph.D., DLC Director of Conservation. Posted June 26, 2026. On the 26th of June in 1960, Madagascar officially gained its independence from its colonizer, France. The struggle for independence has a long history that continues to shape the country today. In 1896, France officially annexed Madagascar. Colonial rule imposed major political, economic, […]
Read the Duke Lemur Center’s Stakeholder Update, sent to our donors on June 17, 2026. Questions? Contact Mary Paisley, DLC Development Director, at mary.paisley@duke.edu. June 2026 Stakeholder Update Two young ring-tailed lemurs are new to exploring one of our eleven forested free-ranging enclosures. The infants, Melissa and Karl, are clinging to mom, Liesl, as their […]
By Dr. James Herrera, DLC Director of Conservation. It is with great joy that we share the news: Nestorine has successfully completed her Ph.D.! Nestorine has been a collaborator with DLC since 2019, and starting in 2021, she has been a Ph.D. scholar studying nutrition and solutions to malnutrition in the SAVA region of Madagascar. […]
We’ve given the DLC-SAVA Conservation annual newsletter a fresh coat of paint! Our newest issue is brighter, fresher, and eminently scrollable. Check out the redesign and join us in celebrating everything we’ve achieved together in northeastern Madagascar in 2025! Posted May 26, 2026.