THE Inside DIAN Women following in Fossey’s footsteps 2 FOSSEY Gorilla females have crucial roles 4 Empowering community women 6 Bwindi mountain gorilla census Gorılla shows increase 7 New campus construction update 8 ournal March 2020 J Daily Protection | Scientific Research | Educating Conservationists | Helping Communities Sign up! Celebrating women’s month Free monthly From science to daily stories on pages 2 and 6). Gorilla eNews Our work is also significantly supported gorillafund. protection to education, by a number of female celebrities and philan- org/enews women lead the way thropists, including: our long-term honorary chair Sigourney Weaver; Ellen DeGeneres in gorilla conservation and her wife Portia de Rossi; our board chair Judith Harris; and 40+year major donor and By Tara Stoinski, Ph.D. former board chair Sandy Price, who knew President and CEO/Chief Scientific Officer Dian Fossey personally. It’s especially heartening that many of our Here at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, younger African female staff are we are perfectly poised to celebrate also rising to prominence, like our Women’s History Month in the U.S., research assistant Nadia Niyonizeye, as well as Inter- who is featured in a national Women’s television documen- Day around the tary airing this year world. Our founder, on Earth Day, about TheHelping Gorilla people. Saving Journal gorilla s. gorillafund.org Dr. Dian Fossey, women following in is a publication was one of the most the footsteps of Dian of the Dian Fossey well-known female 1 2 3 Fossey and the other Gorilla Fund® scientists of our time, leading female prima- International, recognized for her scientific tologists of the time. 800 Cherokee Ave., breakthroughs, her courage I am lucky to have worked in SE, Atlanta, GA and her persistence. Fifty-two the field with the gorillas, like 30315-1440, years later, our organization is Dian Fossey did, so I can’t miss 1-800-851-0203. still led by many groundbreak- an opportunity to acknowledge ©2020 Dian Fossey ing women and continues to all the amazing gorilla females Gorilla Fund® incorporate women into every 4 5 we observe every day — for International. aspect of our work. Some of the Fossey women: their strength, protection of gorillafund.org. All rights reserved. Women have truly made 1) President and CEO Dr. their youngsters, and for keep- No information history in our field, whether Tara Stoinski 2) Founder ing gorilla groups cohesive and Dr. Dian Fossey 3) Research from this publica- engaged in scientific studies, assistant Nadia Niyonizeye thriving (See story on page 4). tion may be used on the ground protecting 4) Research assistant Gudula I believe strongly in the without written gorillas, educating others about Nyirandayambaje 5) Tracker theme of the 2020 Interna- permission from conservation, or involving and Alphonsine Nakure tional Women’s Day — “An the Fossey Fund. impacting even more women in conservation equal world is an enabled world” — and am through community efforts, such as farm- proud that our organization embodies and ing and small-scale livelihood projects. (See acts upon this sentiment in every way. n Follow us @savinggorillas Daily Protection | Scientific Research | Educating Conservationists | Helping Communities Women following in Fossey’s footsteps . Dr. Tara Stoinski Fossey Fund president and CEO/chief scientist Tara Stoinski started at the Fossey Fund as a scientist in 2002, and has led the organiza- tion as president and CEO/chief scientific officer since 2014. As the Fossey Fund’s leader, Tara is responsible for the daily manage- ment of the entire organization. As a scientist, she plays an active role in numerous scientific studies with our own scientists and with collab- orators from around the world. Nadia Niyonizeye opment over time. “I am honored to be able to help Recently, Nadia also became carry on the legacy of Dian Fossey From student a television star, when she was and to work with the many other to scientist to film star chosen to be featured in a Cana- women who are making major con- Nadia Niyonizeye first came to the dian Broadcasting Company tributions to gorilla conservation,” Fossey Fund in 2015, as a biology documentary called “She Walks she says. student from the University of with Apes.” This show tells the Rwanda taking a study field trip story of the “trimates,” the three Dr. Winnie Eckardt with our staff at the Karisoke women who went into the forests Research manager Research Center. She learned to study apes in the 1960s: Dian about the many opportuni- Fossey, Jane Goodall, and Birute in Rwanda ties the Fossey Fund offers for Galdikas. Winnie has been with the Fossey both undergraduate students The film also focuses on a Fund since 2004, first as a research and recent graduates and says new generation of young women assistant, then conducting her doc- her thirst for being part of the following in the footsteps of toral and post-doctoral research. Fossey Fund team and gorilla these pioneering field scientists, She has been our research man- conservation grew from there. and Nadia was chosen to repre- ager in Rwanda since 2015, while Now, Nadia is a full-time sent Dian Fossey’s legacy. also leading our efforts to build sci- researcher with the Fossey Fund, “I appreciate women working entific capacity among our staff and and part of a major collabora- in the field like Dian Fossey did,” all the Rwandan college students tive scientific project we have says Nadia. “Regardless of how who come to us each year. with The George Washington difficult the work is, it brings “Our programs for Rwandan University. She treks the forest joy and satisfaction. Dian Fossey college students include more and to take specialized photos of the is the person I look up to when more women every day,” Winnie gorillas, which are then used to it comes to dedication and resil- says, and these women will help measure their growth and devel- ience.” n shape the future of conservation in Rwanda. ‘I appreciate women working in the field. Regardless of how difficult the work is, it brings joy and satisfaction. Dian Fossey is the person I look up to when it comes to dedication and resilience.’ — Nadia Niyonizeye, Fossey Fund researcher* *Nadia appears in “She Walks with Apes,” airing on BBC America, April 22. 2 March 2020 gorillafund.org | THE DIAN FOSSEY GORILLA FUND INTERNATIONAL Daily Protection | Scientific Research | Educating Conservationists | Helping Communities and beyond Alphonsine Nakure the success and growth of the Long-time mountain gorilla population. “Being a woman gorilla gorilla tracker tracker gives me a unique The Fossey Fund not only has opportunity,” she says. “It’s a long track record of women amazing to be able to take scientists and researchers, but care of these wonderful moun- also has women serving as tain gorillas and I’m proud trackers in the forest, protect- of the work I’ve done to keep ing the gorillas every day. them safe.” Trackers are at the front- Alphonsine, who is a line of conservation and work mother of three and now in rugged, harsh conditions, awaiting her fourth, adds that including high altitudes, dense she is proud to have such an forest and difficult weather. important job, which helps her Alphonsine Nakure has been care for her own family while a gorilla tracker with the Fossey also protecting the gorillas Fund since 2008, after working every day. as a farmer. She has helped “I wish that one day all peo- protect many of the gorilla ple will understand that wild- groups that we follow over the life should live safely in their years, playing a direct role in environment,” she adds. n Veronica Vecellio near gorilla habitat while also Gorilla program reducing pressures on the forests. Many are led by women. senior adviser “It has been amazing to see the Veronica joined the Fossey Fund in women involved in our projects 2005 as a research assistant, after become more confident in playing working with apes in other parts a role in conservation, especially in of Africa. She became our gorilla Congo,” says Sarah. program manager in 2007, super- vising our daily gorilla protection Gudula operations in Rwanda. In 2017, her work was expanded Nyirandayambaje to include regional public relations Veronica Vecellio, left, and Research assistant and field communications, coor- Dr. Winnie Eckardt in Rwanda. Gudula is a research assistant dinating with our U.S. team in Sarah Tolbert who started with us as a college Atlanta. Community student, then completed a sci- “As a child, I always dreamed of entific internship at Karisoke to working in Africa one day, and was engagement manager finish her degree. Now, she is with so inspired by the film ‘Gorillas Sarah directs our ever-growing the gorillas every day, collecting in the Mist,’” Veronica says. “The community programs in Rwanda information for our long-term gorilla groups that Dian Fossey and Congo, which now range from database and scientific projects. studied were always a source of community farming to small-scale “I am thankful to Dian Fossey for inspiration to me and I feel so lucky animal husbandry, clean-water starting gorilla conservation and to be able to carry on the model projects and a bamboo nursery. research,” she says. “Her work is of that she started.” These projects help people living such great value!” n THE DIAN FOSSEY GORILLA FUND INTERNATIONAL | gorillafund.org March 2020 3 Daily Protection imity to the dominant male. Hier- perament,” which not only provided Gorilla archy among females is regulated security to her offspring but helped by several factors, such as number her maintain top rank in her group.