SFWAF News:
SANAT FE—Santa Fe World Affairs Forum (SFWAF) to host a lunch talk/discussion with Dan Turk on the environmental, food security and democracy challenges in Madagascar.
Turk has spent nearly 30 years working in Madagascar—an island nation off the coast of East Africa—that has some of the greatest biodiversity in the world but also one of the highest levels of poverty.
Once covered mostly in forests, Madagascar has few pockets of native trees remaining, one of which is in the Ranomafana National Park where Turk did his doctoral research.
Part of that research resulted in the Ranomafana Arboretum, founded in 2007 to provide educational opportunities for learning about many of Madagascar’s famous and amazing trees as well as fruit trees that can contribute to improving food security.
Turk and his Malagasy colleagues propagate native trees of exceptional educational value for planting at schools, churches, and other public places to increase appreciation of Madagascar’s rich biodiversity.
Alongside his environmental work, Turk focuses on helping low-income farmers grow fruit trees to get on a path out of poverty.
Avid botanist Dan Turk in Madagascar. Courtesy/SFWAF
For the past 26 years as a Mission Co-worker of the Presbyterian Church (USA), he has partnered with the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (FJKM). Turk helped establish the FJKM’s Fruits, Vegetables, and Environmental Education program, which has set up six fruit centers and provides internships for university students and training for seminary students, church pastors and members, and farmers who learn to grow and graft fruit trees to improve their food security and income.
During Madagascar’s crises of 2002 and 2009, Turk documented human rights abuses and communicated with the US State Department and international human rights organizations. From these experiences and others, he has a unique perspective on U.S. policy towards Madagascar.
An avid botanist, Turk has named three new species. He has co-authored several academic journal articles and is preparing “A Guide to Trees of Ranomafana National Park” for publication. His work has been recognized by colleagues who have named plants after him; he received the William Gibson Eco-Justice lifetime achievement award in 2006 and Chevalier de l’Ordre National de Madagascar in 2014.
Map of Madagascar. Courtesy/SFWAF
Registration: This SFWAF lunch is $25 for members and $35 for nonmembers. To register you may either pay by check made out to SFWAF and mailed to the Santa Fe World Affairs Forum, PO Box 31965, Santa Fe, NM 87594 or by credit card through Paypal. Please indicate on your check – or if using Paypal (“add special instructions to the seller”) that your payment is for the Thursday Jan. 18, 2024 program: https://sfwaf.org/payment/.
If you are not a member yet, please include your best contact information. If you are interested in membership, email sfwaforum@outlook.com.
Payment for this program is nonrefundable after Jan. 10, 2024. We strongly prefer that payment be made by PayPal or check postmarked by Jan. 10 to facilitate check-in. If you are mailing a check please also email us at sfwaforum@outlook.com to be sure we know you plan to attend.
Location:
The SFCC Board Room is in SFCC’S West Wing located on the corridor to the left of the Student Center. The Board Room can be accessed through the entrance to the left and behind the flag poles or the West Wing Entrance on the Upper Level. The college is at 6401 Richards Ave. in Santa Fe.
Directions:
From Rodeo Road turn south onto Richards Avenue. Turn into the campus main drive. Parking lots are in front of the building. From I-25 take the Cerrillos Road exit, turn east onto Governor Miles Road and then right onto Richards Avenue. Then follow directions above.
