Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

RwandaThe Organization's state-of-the-art research and education center in Rwanda is accelerating the critical science and training needed for effective conservation. It serves as an educational hub, hosting more than 36,000 visitors annually, including 6,000 schoolchildren. The Fossey Fund maintains its daily protection activities for 10 gorilla families in Rwanda, removing nearly 1,000 illegal snares this year, and continues to expand its research program on both gorillas and the surrounding biodiversity. Community development programs focus on food security and livelihood initiatives, including kitchen gardens, livestock and food tree distributions, and mushroom cultivation. The program has expanded this year, reaching approximately 30,000 people, by providing financial support and technical assistance to 25 villages bordering Volcanoes National Park as they design and launch livelihood initiatives for a climate-resilient future. Adult and youth education programs included: nature clubs, conservation camps and debates, guided tours, forest visits; and, teacher training and community leader engagement. A new Girls in Conservation project addresses education inequalities by supporting girls in their secondary education goals and promoting careers in conservation. To build scientific capacity, the Fossey Fund provided training for more than 400 university students and has hosted 25 workshops with participants from more than 30 countries. The Fossey Fund has an intensive mentoring program for early career scientists and established a scholarship fund to promote the educational advancement of African scientists, with a particular focus on women in science and conservation.

Democratic Republic of the CongoThe Fossey Fund protects an estimated 2,000-3,000 critically endangered Grauer's gorillas and at least 8 other globally threatened large mammals, through managing a 2,400-km2 community conservation forest called Nkuba Conservation Area (NCA). In 2024, the NCA was designated as a Key Biodiversity Area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a global standard for sites that contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity. Hunting remains a significant threat to wildlife, as shown by the more than 2,600 snares that were removed by Fossey Fund staff. To help lessen the communities' 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 with a particular focus on empowering women. In addition, the Fossey Fund focused on educational outreach, delivering conservation content in primary schools, paying the annual school fees for more than 450 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.