Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

Nature’s balance is hanging by a thread, and there is a vital link we cannot afford to ignore. Gorillas are critical to the future of our planet. Will you help save them? 🦍 World Gorilla Day is Sept. 24. Learn some tangible ways that you can help today: https://lnkd.in/eB6_aRys World Gorilla Day 2024 is presented by SouthState Bank ✨

We are thrilled to host academic interns from the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine in the University of Rwanda Forestry Department. 🌱 Immersed in the living landscape on our Ellen Campus, these students are learning field techniques firsthand, under the guidance of our biodiversity department. 🌳 When students were asked how their learning experience has been thus far, they explained that they are now gaining the practical side of what has been learned in the classroom utilizing teamwork, and they are thrilled to learn from professionals at the Fossey Fund. Our biodiversity team has also expressed that they are excited to be able to contribute to the conservation education of local scholars. 📸 Nadia Niyonizeye

In the decades since Dian Fossey began her work, we've come a long way! 😃 Learn about the modern tools we use everyday, in the field: https://lnkd.in/e9xptXrb

We are thrilled about the upcoming third cohort of the Girls in Conservation (GIC) Program! ✨ We kickstarted a three-day workshop to train facilitators, where the GIC Club lessons were revised using a participatory approach. These lessons include out-of-classroom learning, which teaches conservation through the ecosystem of the Volcanoes National Park area. The curriculum also instructs on how to network for post-education jobs. One of the big highlights from the workshop occurred outdoors: the instructors truly appreciated the opportunity to learn how to plant trees (pictured)! 🌳 We look forward to engaging secondary school girls with conservation education in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned for more updates on GIC! 📸 Nadia Niyonizeye and Marcel Ngabikwiye

The conservation debates are back! 😁 We can't wait! The 2025 debate period begins in the next few weeks. To gear up for everything ahead, representatives from participating schools gathered on our campus in Rwanda for two days of training. The debate competition aims to develop and equip young people with knowledge and skills to champion conservation, now and into the future. Stay tuned for more news direct to you from the 2025 conservation debates! 📸 Elias Nizeyimana

You may already know about our vital work with mountain gorillas in Rwanda. But wait, there's more! 🦍 For over 20 years, we've been working to save critically endangered Grauer's gorillas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). These incredible animals have tragically lost as much as 60% of their population in recent decades. Our team is in the forests daily, monitoring and protecting the elusive Grauer's gorillas, crucial to their forest home in the Congo Basin. Want to learn about our unique conservation strategy in the DRC? Read more: https://lnkd.in/gy5y27NA

Did you know that relationships between gorillas extend far beyond reproduction? That's right: gorillas often form strong and lasting bonds with each other. 💛 💕 With Valentine's Day just around the corner, learn more about some of our favorite gorilla relationships: https://lnkd.in/eMtdXKBG

Education is vital to the future of conservation. Whether it be our Girls in Conservation program, instruction on sustainable agriculture through nature clubs, literacy training for women or creating the next generation of conservationists around the world, the Fossey Fund is dedicated to providing education for people of all ages. We remain committed to offering life-changing educational opportunities for communities nearest to the gorillas’ habitat, but also worldwide, as conservation is only successful when we all play our parts. Happy International Day of Education! 💛 📕 📓 🦍 📸 Bertrand Mahirwe, Elias Nizeyimana, Yntze van der Hoek and Nadia Niyonizeye

A significant part of our plan when we designed our new Ellen Campus was to restore native plant species to this former agricultural space. We planted roughly 250,000 individual plants from 110 different species—and as the plants returned, so did the insects, insectivores and other native species. 🦋 🐛 🐜 🌱 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eAwW8dUr