Despite the approaching holiday, we have been busy exploring new avenues for our wild silk product. Last week I met three colleagues at Cornell University - a biologist, an economist who has organized Cornell's new sustainability center.  The feedback on the project was really helpful. The Center has offered to provide funds for a graduate student to set up a water and soils monitoring program in Madagascar!  If you know of a Cornell graduate student who is up for the challenge, please have them contact me directly. 

A second colleague in materials science is taking up the challenge of characterizing the silk for  possible nano-matierals and a third, an expert in "green" composite materials, will explore the behavior of the textile when combined with other natural materials.  Natural composites is a 2 billion dollar a year market  . .  and will keep the project GG Green.  Needless to say I am thrilled.

Mamy and the team are on leave for the holidays so I expect that the next newsletter may be delayed until the end of January.  But on Thursday Mamy let me know that SEPALI-Madagascar had recieved a SEED award (www.seedinit.org)! SEED is a UN/UNDP/IUCN  program that  provides business training to entrepeneurs - being IUCN and UNDP supported it is right up our line - and this year they focussed on Africa.  Mamy will accept the award in South Africa in January and then SEED will provide in-country business training in February - business training is just what the team needs!

Its been a great - lets make the next on even better!

Thank you from the teams here in the US and Madagascar.

Links:

• CPALI/SEPALI website
• SEED Initiative website