Crowdfunding platform for good, CrowdRise, partners with a Breakdancing Marine Biologist to Help Save Endangered Lemurs in 24 Hours

DETROIT, March 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The CrowdRise 24-Hour Impact Project – an initiative that empowers individuals to impact causes that they're passionate about, from helping an underground homeless community in Las Vegas, to funding critical surgeries for kids in Honduras, and so much more – has partnered with 30-year-old videographer and breakdancing marine biologist, Mike Corey, to rescue the Greater Bamboo Lemur in Madagascar. The fundraiser launched today and seeks to raise $10,000. If the money is raised in time, Mike will spend the following 24-hours using the funds on a life-saving project for this group of lemurs.

Lemurs are the most endangered mammals on earth with 91% of species on the verge of extinction.  In fact, the Greater Bamboo Lemur was thought to be extinct until Dr. Patricia Wright, American primatologist, anthropologist and conservationist, discovered the species living in central eastern Madagascar in 1986. Today, only 500 Greater Bamboo Lemurs exist.

100 of these lemurs live in a forest on the outskirts of the Ranomafana National Park – a protected park in Madagascar. There is a stretch of 6 kilometers of vacant land between their existing forest and the national park. This forest will soon be cut down, and farmers will likely resort to hunting to protect their crops and support their families.

Mike's hope is to spend 24-hours fundraising to plant a long strip of bamboo that will serve as a bridge for the lemurs to travel along so that they can reach Ranomafana National Park to be cared for by scientists who will ensure that the species will flourish once relocated.

This project is incredibly important to Mike who studied biology and travels as a videographer documenting his many adventures on his YouTube channel.

"There is a solution to rescue the Greater Bamboo Lemur but a lack of funding. We're going to change that," explains Mike, "This bamboo corridor, along with new data from studies we'll help fund, will save this population. Otherwise, 100 of the 500 Greater Bamboo lemurs left on this planet will be gone. There is no coming back from extinction."

The $10,000 covers the costs of building a bamboo bridge, including seedlings and labor, ensuring the cooperation from the locals, radioactive trackers, GPS devices, and other needs of the scientists who will be studying the species. The dollars will be collected via online fundraising platform CrowdRise at https://www.crowdrise.com/86402Secondsinmadagascar

About CrowdRise

CrowdRise is the world's largest and fastest growing online platform dedicated exclusively to charitable fundraising. For more information visit www.CrowdRise.com.

About the CrowdRise 24-Hour Impact Project

The CrowdRise 24-Hour Impact Project was developed to demonstrate the incredible power that real-time impact and crowdfunding can give to an individual trying to make change in the world. To see all the 24-HOUR IMPACT PROJECTS, visit crowdrise.com/impactproject.

SOURCE CrowdRise