Keith Helmetag, Emanuela Frigerio and Melanie Kirchner

Lemur Conservation Foundation

Grant Awarded: $22,000

The Lemur Conservation Foundation (LCF) is a small non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the primates of Madagascar through captive breeding, scientific research, education, and reintroduction.

Chermayeff & Geismar, a design company based in New York decided to get involved with the campaign. A few objectives were considered. First and foremost was the heightening of awareness of the plight of the lemur and other primates in Madagascar. Conservation awareness and environmental aims drove the campaign. However, the book created by the design team has another, equally important goal: to foster literacy among Madagascan school children.

The story is a day-in-the-life tale. Thus, the design concept features the central character prominently. The format is deliberately modest to reflect grant funding. The books were distributed to Madagascan schools in the middle of 2005 and promoted by the illustrator as a part of a two-week road trip in the country. Other books will be distributed on demand at the Tampolo Reserve in Madagascar and the Lemur Conservation Foundation at Myakka City in Florida.