The Duke Lemur Center has had an active conservation program for 20 years, both at the DLC and in Madagascar. In Madagascar, the DLC partners with the Madagascar Fauna Group (MFG) at Parc Ivoloina, a regional environmental education and training center on Madagascar's east coast. Parc Ivoloina has a small zoo and teaches Malagasy people about reforestation, better agriculture techniques and ecotourism as alternatives to destructive land use practices. Also with the MFG, the DLC carried out the first re-introduction of captive lemurs back to the wild at Betampona Reserve. This project has evolved into an important program of conservation research on many different plants and animals, helping to protect the Reserve at the same time.

At the DLC, scientific research and captive breeding programs also support conservation efforts, increasing our knowledge about lemur biology, reproduction, social behavior, veterinary medicine, diets and breeding management. The DLC is also a major resource for undergraduate and graduate student education. Many students do field research in Madagascar and often go on to work as primatologists or as conservation professionals.