From the Wild: A Close Partnership All the Way From Rwanda

From the Wild: A Close Partnership All the Way From Rwanda

By Bianca Gomez – Mar 27, 2015

Written by: Valerie Akuredusenge

Hi! My name is Valerie Akuredusenge, the Program Director of Conservation Heritage – Turambe, (CHT). I grew up in Gakenke District in the Northern Province of Rwanda. I began my journey in wildlife conservation as a tour guide, leading others through the dense rainforests of central Africa. I facilitated influential conservation experiences for tourists by bringing them up close and personal with some of the world’s most amazing wildlife. 

As my love and appreciation of this wildlife grew through those experiences, I knew I needed to share this excitement with the local communities living alongside animals like mountain gorillas.  I joined Art of Conservation in 2006 and became a leader in conservation education. I have taught over 2,800 children in communities bordering Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park about how to maintain healthy lives for the continued prosperity of the local communities and gorilla populations as well. Additionally, I am creating the next generation of Rwanda’s wildlife conservationists by inspiring local students to care about their natural resources, and act on behalf of wildlife and habitats.

In 2013, I became the Program Director of Conservation Heritage – Turambe, an off – shoot of the very successful international non–profit organization called Art of Conservation that worked in Rwanda for over 6 years conducting conservation and health awareness programs in Musanze District, Rwanda.

Conservation Heritage – Turambe is local non-profit organization based in Musanze District in the Northern Province of Rwanda. CHT works with local communities bordering Volcanoes Natinal Park home to the critically endangered mountain gorillas.

Since 2013, CHT has worked as a local non-profit organization in Rwanda. In Kinyarwanda, Turambe translates to “let us be sustainable”.  All 7 of the CHT staff members are Rwandan and committed to continuing the important and inspiring work that was done by AoC previously.

The goal of CHT is to educate local communities near Volcanoes National Park to ensure they live in harmony with mountain gorillas and their habitat. CHT believes that disease transmission between mountain gorilla populations and human populations is a major threat to gorillas. To make sure the lives of mountain gorillas and that of human populations next to the park is in balance, CHT conducts year – long after school conservation and health awareness classes in communities near the Volcanoes National Park, home to mountain gorillas.

To be able to do it, the CHT team and I utilize different methods to deliver conservation and health messages to local communities.  Art is a great tool we use to help spread our messages and also make our program more unique.

Through our classroom programming, CHT teaches over 200 local schoolchildren about conservation and health. These conservation lessons instill in students an understanding and compassion of nature and wildlife. Local community members are also encouraged to stay healthy because the health of wildlife is linked to that of people.

CHT’s work also improves local livelihoods through different initiatives. We conduct tree-planting activities to prevent soil erosion, provide animal habitat and create beautiful green space. We also donate water tanks to schools to ensure water availability.

Additionally we do community outreach through our local schools by conducting conservation and health awareness classes to remote schools.  We host annual events including the 3k Gorilla Fun Run to increase gorilla awareness with communities and partners and we host annual tennis tournaments to raise awareness of CHT and mountain gorillas, and how to stay healthy.

At the very end of our year long after school programming, we host a very big event – Parents As Partners’ Open House – to share with our partners, local authorities, parents of kids and participants of our program what we have achieved during the year and celebrate!

To achieve our goal, we also partners with different conservation organizations including the Houston Zoo. One of the Houston Zoo missions in the protection of mountain gorillas is to make sure they are safe in wild and partner with conservation organizations.  In this context, CHT is really honored to be have Houston Zoo staff here for a one-month visit.  Houston Zoo staff is incredibly helping my staff and me in capacity building where she has been assisting, coaching, teaching and training and inspiring us on how best we can improve our way of planning and improving our documents.

Together with her expertise, the CHT team including me have gained a lot of experience in strategic planning, evaluation, writing documents, and many more.  In addition to capacity building, Houston Zoo has been a very close partner of CHT. They have been sponsoring CHT’s staff salaries, project development, raising funds for CHT and marketing the project. We are very fortunate to be with their staff member, Martha, who is really making us strong readers in conservation to be able to reach our goal.  My staff and I cannot wait to use what we learnt from the Houston Zoo.

To learn more and to donate to Conservation Heritage-Turambe and/or Gorilla Doctors please read more HERE!

Contact: CHTurambe@gmail.com

Great news for Conservation Heritage – Turambe!

The World Rainforest Fund has generously offered to match 5,000 USD in donations to Art of Conservation‘s offshoot organization Conservation Heritage-Turambe. Please support our team (Valerie, Innocent, Olivier, Eric & Eusebe) in Rwanda that we are so very proud of!

Following a lesson on proper hand washing and an introduction to mountain gorillas, the CHT team and students from Kagano Primary school pose for a photo. © Conservation Heritage – Turambe

For every dollar you donate to CHT via www.art-of-conservation.org/donate, World Rainforest Fund will match! Thank you to World Rainforest Fund for giving us this great opportunity. We need your help to reach our goal of 5,000 dollars, doubling our proceeds to CHT for a grand total of 10,000 U.S. dollars. CHT Conservation and Health Awareness programs have reached over 200 school children in 2014 and they would like the funding to reach many more students in need this year! You can follow CHT work on AoC’s blog and the CHT Facebook page.

Also checks marked “CHT” can be made out to “Art of Conservation, Inc.” and mailed to our U.S. Headquarters:
2118 High Street
Des Moines, IA
50312

For any questions please email info@art-of-conservation.org. And please consider forwarding this email to your family, friends and colleagues! Thank you very much! Murakoze Cyane!

Warmly,

Allison

Izilwane.org – The Bones of Extinction at the Ivory Crush

Izilwane.org – The Bones of Extinction at the Ivory Crush.

The Bones of Extinction at the Ivory Crush BY LYSANDER CHRISTO

Today, the problem is poaching. It is estimated that one elephant dies every 15 minutes. We lose thousands of elephants to poaching every year, mostly for ivory or new age medicines (that don’t work). They’re killing elephants to make cheesy little elephant sculptures. So people, those trying to protect the elephant, are trying to make a difference by crushing or burning illegal ivory seized from smugglers or poachers. At the ivory crushing event in Colorado in November, 2013, I was proud to be the only kid in attendance; my mom and dad want to educate me and to teach me respect for these great beasts, and so they brought me to this significant event.  Why did no one else bring their kid? Why did no one else want to share with their children this important message? I saw many things no one else saw. I saw elephants in the distance.

I feel sad that thousands of elephants are being killed … ivory is worth nothing … if you kill just one matriarch, one mother elephant, you take joy away from thousands of others. If you kill the mom of an elephant, that child will suffer and die unless it is adopted by another willing to take on its care. Thankfully, it is very common for an elephant to be adopted, but the scars of separation are still there.

One piece of ivory generally can come from a 20- to 60-year-old elephant, but now also baby elephants are being slaughtered, killed for a piece of ivory less than a foot long. Such small, delicate pieces come from a very young elephant that is maybe 10 years old, just a kid, like me.

We children, my friends and I, are usually right: Poachers must stop poaching; the numbers have to go down. If elephants are being poached at a rate of a hundred a day, I won’t be able to see elephants when I’m 18! I might never again get to see one of these awesome giants.
 
The elephants have entered my heart. We are killing them just to have trophies on the wall. It is not worth having trophies; it is like having a dead body under your bed. It is a bad feeling. People who want trophies either have no idea what’s going on or are psycho because they just don’t care. This is an age when people have to care about life. If there’s no life, there is nothing left to enjoy in the world.

I’m really stunned by how beautiful elephants are, and if we humans keep killing elephants, in 10 years there won’t be anymore. We will lose joy, we will lose wonder, we will lose everything to do with nature!

If children don’t get to know that elephants exist, they will miss the introduction to life.

All photos are copyright protected and may not be used without permission. All photos are courtesy of Cyril Christo.

Lysander Christo has travelled with his parents to Africa, Asia and the Arctic. Among his favorite animals are elephants, whales, lions, tigers, polar bears and horses! He is eight years old and lives in Santa Fe, NM. We all hope the ivory trade stops soon!

SAVE THE DATE – November 22nd 2013 – New York City

iWorry | Say NO to ivory

iWorry | Say NO to ivory.

Last year up to 36,000 elephants were killed for their ivory. 1 life lost every 15 minutes.
At the current rate of poaching African Elephants could face extinction in the wild by 2025.

Join us as we peacefully march in 15 cities around the world on Friday 4th October.
You can also show your support by joining the digital march for elephants.

Support the DSWT’s iWorry campaign and be a part of a global effort to protect and preserve elephants.

iWorry is a campaign created by
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT).

The DSWT is a front-line organisation working every day in the field to protect Africa’s wildlife and habitats. We are not traditionally a campaigning organisation, but the severity of the danger caused by the escalating ivory trade will only be countered if we all stand up for elephants together.

As long as there is a market for ivory, elephants will be cruelly killed for their tusks.

The DSWT iWorry campaign aims to raise awareness of the illicit ivory trade and it’s devastating impact on elephant populations. Demand for ivory has grown significantly in recent years. Presently, one kilo of ivory can be worth up to USD $2,000. The increasing value of ivory, frequently referred to as white gold has attracted the attention of organised criminal networks and ivory has even been used to fund terrorist organisations. It is estimated that up to 36,000 elephants are being killed annually to satisfy this growing demand.

  

Week One Visit to Art of Conservation

Two full days of travel and three plane rides later I arrive late Tuesday June 4th in Kigali, Rwanda with Art of Conservation (AoC) board member/photographer, Cheryl Stockton and wildlife photographer friend/colleague, Andrew Walmsley. The first thing I notice off the plane is that distinct musky yet floral smell of Africa! It’s nice to be back to East Africa after two years. We travel by car up and around in mountains about an hour to Musanze welcomed by new friends, including four friendly dogs at The Garden House, a friend’s bed and breakfast nearby Art of Conservation. On our beds are beautiful paper maché gorilla masks made by the Rwandan AoC team and our full exciting itinerary for the month ahead.

The following morning after a proper African breakfast, Julie starts out our trip and adventure in Rwanda by picking us up and taking us to the Art of Conservation compound just a few streets away. Again we receive a warm welcome by Julie’s dogs, new friends, neighbors and staff. The tour is impressive, including a beautiful flower and vegetable garden with giant corn stalks, composting site, rain water collection tank, array of recycled bird feeders and birdhouses, art studio and several common areas filled with beautiful artwork.

Art of Conservation garden.

Bird houses in the works being painted and varnished by AoC staff and friends.

We make introductions. I share Ghirardelli chocolates from San Francisco and Cheryl “I Love NY” shirts for the staff. We instantly adore our smiling kind new friends.

Olivier, Cheryl, Eusebe, Valerie, Eric and Innocent full of smiles.

Eric, Valerie and myself enjoying San Francisco Ghiradelli chocolates.

We unpack and layout our photography gear organizing lenses and learning all about our new toys, which some of us particularly myself, are yet to play with. Nikon, Canon, Apple and GoPro equipment overflow the table and we immediately start flicking through manuals and dialing in settings ready for our early morning trek to the mountain gorillas.

Do you think we have enough equipment?

Thursday morning we are up before sunrise ready to hike up Volcanoes National Park. Cheryl, Julie and myself trek to the furthest gorilla family, Susa, which has three silverbacks. My previous experience of tracking gorillas for three months in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda proved useful in preparing me for the day ahead but I still found the trek not to be all that easy. The high-altitude was very noticeable especially since we had limited time to acclimatize. However, we made it to the group without any trouble and I managed to handle Andrew’s special 300mm f2.8 lens for the hour-long session. You can tell by my shots and GoPro filming comments that the equipment was heavy! I was still able to get some great shots and had a wonderful time. It was one of the best gorilla treks I have experienced, particularly because I could share the experience with new friends and colleagues.

In the forest with Julie.

Rwandan gorillas are much furrier than the Ugandan population because of the higher elevation and cooler climate.

We had a grand time and our guide “D” joined us in our celebration dinner at Muhabura Restaurant. Julie always likes to celebrate after a good day of gorilla trekking and we are full of laughs. Each day I feel luckier to work with such inspiring, talented, hard working and fun colleagues.

Friday we get right into meetings and prepare for week two classes. I’ve noticed pretty much everyday at AoC we find ourselves singing, dancing and acting! I’m learning so many new things here in Rwanda. We also paint birdhouses with Eric and Eusebe and end the evening with a party in AoC’s garden and bungalow. Julie’s friend Alberto cooks us up a feast and Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP) friends and colleagues join us to make another great close to the night.

Let the work begin.

Saturday we all meet at the tennis courts. One of AoC’s most significant programs is the Ibirunga Tennis and Running Club. Olivier was recently nominated president and Valerie treasurer. AoC murals, plants and flowers decorate the grounds. The nets look like they have had their run and I am happy to know that by the end of the month through a USTA grant the club will have two brand new nets!

Julie runs tennis drills and exercise with the children. I pick up a racquet after several years.

Cheryl cools us down leading us in a yoga session and then I get to play a good high-energy game of tennis with Johnny, one of the best tennis players in the community.

These kids fill you with joy and energy!

After a great workout I quickly take a shower and we head off to find our Batwa friend or as Rwandans now call her – “marginalized indigenous woman.” However, the dramatic driving adventure in search of Marie Rose is unsuccessful and instead we follow Art of Conservation’s dear friend and partner Cecil to her village for dancing. We bring sacks for rice, beans and a jerry can of banana beer. Cecil is a very special woman that Art of Conservation has been working with for years and is famous throughout Rwanda. To learn more about her Saving the Forests Briquette Initiative read here.

Sunday we are still full of energy editing photos, working and preparing for the remaining few weeks. Monday is our first day of classes at one of our two local schools and the fun has just begun!

Read more about Art of Conservation, sign up to our STAY INFORMED newsletter, learn ways you can be directly involved in our work and DONATE at www.art-of-conservation.org! Contact us directly at info@art-of-conservation.org.

Is responsible tourism the key to saving the mountain gorilla?

This is a good article about mountain gorilla tourism and there is no doubt that responsible gorilla tourism has helped the mountain gorilla.  It is probably one of the most successful wildlife conservation tourism projects seen around the world.  However, myself and other experts do not believe responsible tourism is a pancea for great ape conservation and revenue generation.  I confirmed with my Uganda Wildlife Authority colleagues that the 80% statistic is high.

“Gorilla trekking has not only become a vital conservation fund-raising tool—in Uganda, gorilla tourism contributes approximately 80% of the national wildlife authority’s overall budget, thereby financing the bulk of wildlife and habitat conservation across the country as a whole—but it has also turned the gorillas into a valuable commodity prized by local communities and government alike.”

When I worked in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda in 2011 I was informed tourism provided about half the country’s revenue and that over half of that was direct gorilla tracking fees.  This probably did not include indirect tourism costs such as people going to see gorillas stopping at other sites along the way.  In addition, gorilla permits have risen from 500 USD to 750 USD.  To date colleagues of mine believe the statistic is more around 50%.

Is responsible tourism the key to saving the mountain gorilla? It is vital given the circumstances we have put these animals in but it must be managed effectively and continually re-evaluated. And there must be a number of parties, strategies, education programs and projects working concurrently with responsible tourism to safeguard the future of the mountain gorilla.

Article: Why responsible tourism is the key to saving the mountain gorilla.

Singing for Gorillas – 2013 Children’s Performance Preparations with Art of Conservation

Art of Conservation is preparing for our 2013 children’s performances with music written and recorded by musicians Kaiser Cartel. Courtney Kaiser-Sandler and Benjamin Cartel remixed our Mu Birunga conservation song. They sing in both English and Kinyarwanda. Courtney’s students at Interlochen Center for the Arts are singing too. Preparations are underway with costumes and set design. Please watch our video!

http://art-of-conservation.org/news-media/art-gorillas-blog/

Camera trapping in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Featured video: camera trapping in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Respiratory Illness Spreads Through Sabyinyo Group

The following article was published on Gorilla Doctors Blog on Wednesday January 23rd, 2013.  Respiratory illness is one of the largest threats to the survival of great apes.

On January 22, the Sabyinyo trackers reported that five gorillas were coughing in Sabyinyo group: dominant silverback Guhonda, beta silverback Gihishamwotsi, adult female Kampanga and her infant Ishimwe, and adult female Gukunda.  A veterinary assessment was requested and completed the following day, confirming six members with respiratory disease: Guhonda, Gihishamwotsi, Gukunda, Kampanga, Ishimwe, and Umurinzi. Guhonda appeared to be the worst, with a deep, persisitent cough, he was lethargic and not feeding normally. Dr. Dawn and Dr. Noel scheduled a recheck and possible intervention for the following day.

Dominant silverback Guhonda, one of the largest silverbacks in Volcanoes National Park, is the most seriously afflicted with the respiratory illness. © Gorilla Doctors

On January 24, Sabyinyo group was found only 2.5 km from the previous day’s site, again in the bamboo region.  Seven gorillas were confirmed to be affected with symptoms of respiratory disease.  The eighth presumably affected gorilla, second silverback Gihishamwotsi, was not found in the group.  The team spent about 2 hours looking for him, including returning to the previous day’s site and tracking back to the current site, but he was not found.  Six nests were discovered out of the usual nine, and multiple nests were thought to be high up in the trees.  Therefore, they could not even assess if he nested with the group.

Dominant silverback Guhonda was seen as soon as they entered the group. He was active and eating; his stomach appeared to be 3/4 full. He still exhibited a cough and nasal discharge, but was much improved from the previous day.

Dominant silverback Guhonda with nasal discharge, but active and feeding. © Gorilla Doctors

Blackback Shirimpumu, who had previously not exhibited clinical signs, was found coughing today. There was no nasal discharge, and he was active and eating. Icyerekezo was also not exhibiting clinical signs yesterday but was found coughing today. But as with Shirimpumu, there was no nasal discharge and he was active and eating.

30-year-old adult female Kampanga appeared weak, moving only about 100 meters at a time and stopping in sternal recumbency to rest.  She would pick at vegetation occasionally but was not observed eating much.  Her stomach appeared only half full.  She was not interested in following or responding to the calls of her 1.5 year old infant, Ishimwe.

1.5 year old infant Ishimwe with nasal discharge. © Gorilla Doctors

Kampanga exhibited an intermittent productive cough and an elevated respiratory rate with shallow breaths. A viral origin is presumed with secondary bacterial infection which may be affecting her lower airways.

Kampanga and infant Ishimwe with nasal discharge. © Gorilla Doctors

Due to the severity of Kampanga’s clinical signs, Park authorities and veterinarians agreed that an intervention was warranted.  However, due to the risk of a full anesthetic event, they decided to dart her with an antibiotic and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory.

Dr. Noel prepares dart for Kampanga. © Gorilla Doctors

At 9:45 and 9:48am, Dr. Noel successfully darted Kampanga in the right epaxial musculature with two 5cc darts holding 3.8 grams of ceftriaxone and 150 mg of ketoprofen.

The respiratory disease is still spreading through Sabyinyo group, with two new clinical cases today. Currently, 8 of the 14 individuals in Sabyinyo group are suspected to be infected. Tomorrow, a search team will be sent to look for the missing silverback, Gihishamwotsi. Elisabeth Nyirakaragire (VNP veterinary warden) will recheck Kampanga and other afflicted individuals in Sabyinyo group while Gorilla Doctors have been requested to assess a very weak silverback in another group, Urugamba. Both groups are ranging close to the park border so response time should be reasonable.

You can follow the Gorilla Doctors health monitoring efforts on their Facebook page, where photos and notes are posted from monthly visits.

Please consider supporting Gorilla Doctors by making a secure online donation. Every dollar you give goes to directly supporting our gorilla health programs and One Health initiative. Thank you for your generosity.

Read more: http://gorilladoctorsblog.org/field-blog/2013/1/23/respiratory-illness-spreads-through-sabyinyo-group.html