The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International

A PEOPLE-CENTERED APPROACH TO THE CONSERVATION OF GORILLAS AND THEIR HABITATS IN AFRICA

RWANDATHE ORGANIZATION OPENED ITS FIRST PURPOSE-BUILT FACILITY IN RWANDA IN 2022, A STATE OF THE ART RESEARCH CENTER AIMED AT ACCELERATING THE CRITICAL SCIENCE AND TRAINING NEEDED FOR EFFECTIVE CONSERVATION. IT SERVES AS AN EDUCATIONAL HUB, HOSTING MORE THAN 25,000 VISITORS, INCLUDING 5,500 SCHOOL CHILDREN, IN ITS FIRST YEAR. THE FOSSEY FUND MAINTAINED ITS DAILY PROTECTION ACTIVITIES FOR ROUGHLY HALF THE GORILLA FAMILIES IN RWANDA, REMOVING 456 ILLEGAL SNARES THIS YEAR, AND IN 2022, CONTINUED EXPANDING ITS RESEARCH PROGRAM ON BOTH GORILLAS AND THE SURROUNDING BIODIVERSITY. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON FOOD SECURITY AND LIVELIHOOD INITIATIVES, INCLUDING KITCHEN GARDENS, LIVESTOCK AND FOOD TREE DISTRIBUTIONS, AND MUSHROOM CULTIVATION. ADULT AND YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS INCLUDED: NATURE CLUBS, CONSERVATION CAMPS AND DEBATES, GUIDED TOURS, FOREST VISITS; TEACHER TRAININGS AND COMMUNITY LEADER ENGAGEMENT. TO BUILD SCIENTIFIC CAPACITY, THE FOSSEY FUND PROVIDED TRAININGS FOR MORE THAN 255 UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS AND ESTABLISHED A SCHOLARSHIP FUND TO PROMOTE THE ADVANCEMENT OF AFRICAN WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION. IN TOTAL, THESE PROGRAMS REACHED MORE THAN 20,000 PEOPLE.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGOTHE FOSSEY FUND PROTECTS CRITICALLY ENDANGERED GRAUER'S GORILLAS THROUGH MANAGING A COMMUNITY CONSERVATION FOREST CALLED NKUBA. IN 2022, THE FOSSEY FUND ANNOUNCED A 50% INCREASE IN NKUBA TO MORE THAN 600,000 ACRES OF PRIMARY FOREST, WHICH INCLUDES AT LEAST NINE GLOBALLY THREATENED LARGE MAMMALS, INCLUDING GRAUER'S GORILLAS AND CHIMPANZEES. HUNTING REMAINS A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO WILDLIFE, AS SHOWN BY THE MORE THAN 2,500 SNARES THAT WERE REMOVED BY FOSSEY FUND STAFF. TO HELP LESSEN THE COMMUNITY'S DEPENDENCE ON THE FOREST FOR FOOD AND INCOME, THE ORGANIZATION FOCUSES ON FOOD SECURITY AND LIVELIHOOD INITIATIVES, INCLUDING FISH FARMING, VEGETABLE GARDENS, HONEY PRODUCTION AND SEWING TRAINING. IN ADDITION, THE FOSSEY FUND FOCUSED ON EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH, DELIVERING CONSERVATION CONTENT IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS, PAYING SCHOOL FEES FOR MORE THAN 500 CHILDREN, DELIVERING CONSERVATION MESSAGING THROUGH RADIO PROGRAMS AND PROVIDING LITERARY TRAINING FOR WOMEN. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO SUPPORTS THE TRAINING OF EARLY CAREER CONGOLESE SCIENTISTS THROUGH INTERNSHIPS ONSITE AT NKUBA AND TEACHING COURSES IN LOCAL UNIVERSITIES.