The project will cover a total of around 5,000 hectares. It aims first at restoring forest corridors linking fragmented habitats between the Analamazaotra Special Indri Lemur Reserve, the Maromizaha Private Forest and Mantadia National Park complex in east-central Madagascar. These parks are at the core of the remaining fragments of the Malagasy rainforest, are extremely rich in terms of biodiversity, and continue to be severely deforested. Second, the project will also establish sustainable forest and fruit gardens that will provide alternative livelihoods to local communities and a buffer around the corridor. In addition, the project aims at protecting an area of 80,000 ha of prime or degraded forest north of the corridor, so as to maintain continuity up to Zahamena National Park, located approximately 100km to the north. The overall goal is to enhance the viability of the livelihoods of both people and native biodiversity, while mitigating emissions of greenhouse gases. The additional income from the carbon sequestration is essential to the realization of this goal. More specifically, the project will establish natural forest corridors allowing viable biological connectivity among several currently isolated forests and protected areas and promote sustainable cultivation systems. The forest gardens are envisioned to comprise a significant proportion of local forest plants (primarily Ravensara aromatica, which can be planted so as to mimic local forests in both structure and function). The project falls under the umbrella of the Third Environment Program of the Republic of Madagascar, a $150M program to protect natural resources in the Island supported by major environmental NGOs, bilateral and multilateral donors, including the World Bank (IDA) and the Global Environmental Facility. This Program implements the National Environmental Action Plan of the Government.