African Heartland News May - August 2009 © AWF A NEWSLETTER FOR PARTNERS OF THE AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION IN THIS ISSUE Opening of Conservation Science Centre in Lomako Yokokala Reserve, DRC TOP STORY: Lomako Conservation Science Centre In one of the earlier editions of this USAID’s Central Africa Program for the newsletter, we reported exciting news Environment (CARPE); the Ambassador about AWF's support to the Congolese of Canada; and partners from the Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) tourism industry. to establish the Lomako Yokokala Faunal Reserve in the Democratic Republic of The centre has been developed to support the Congo. This Page 1 reserve was created © AWF s p e c i f i c a l l y t o protect equatorial rainforests and the LAND: Sinohydro Court Case rare bonobo (Pan paniscus). T h e bonobo, or pygmy c h i m p a n z e e , i s one of the most threatened of the world’s five great a p e s . A f t e r i t s e s t a b l i s h m e n t , Page 4 AW F e m b a r k e d o n s u p p o r t i n g ICCN to create capacity, systems ENTERPRISE: and infrastructure Linking Livestock to Markets Projects Main building at Science Center f o r e f f e c t i v e management of the reserve. Already, a Park Manager the conservation science program which has been posted to the reserve and will revitalize applied bonobo research guards recruited and trained to patrol and forest monitoring in the reserve. WKH IRUHVW 5XGLPHQWDU\ RI¿FHV IRU VWDII It will host researchers interested in and administration have been built, as studying the bonobos and the forest well as a village to host ICCN guards’ itself in order to provide information for Page 6 families, at Lingunda, park entrance. Now, developing future conservation strategies AWF with support from the governments for the area. The centre is equipped of USA, France and other donors, has with a solar powered satellite internet constructed the Lomako Conservation connection to facilitate communications Science Centre. The centre was opened for researchers with the rest of the in April 2009 in a ceremony attended world. AWF has already stationed a E\$:) V&KLHI([HFXWLYH2I¿FHU$:) V researcher, Mr. Valentine Omasombo, at Director, Species Conservation; AWF's the centre to lead efforts to re-establish Director, Congo Heartland as well as the the research program. In the earlier Director General of ICCN; Director of the years, there existed a bonobo research www.awf.org continued on page 3 www.awf.org African Heartland News page 2 // ,Ê,"Ê/ Ê*, - / ensured that we have pressed on. So we are happy to report on the progress in the AWF SENIOR STAFF implementation of the Heartland strategy Patrick Bergin, Ph.D. and especially the completion of the centre &KLHI([HFXWLYH2I¿FHU United States within the Lomako Yokokala Fauna Reserve, a real accomplishment for AWF and a key Helen Gichohi, Ph.D. President project in our continuing transformation of Kenya this isolated and once inaccessible area. Giles Davies Tourism development will soon follow as will Director, Conservation Enterprise other infrastructure. Kenya Jef Dupain This issue also reports on an array of Heartland Director, Maringa-Lopori Wamba priority interventions and activities that Landscape AWF is implementing across our Heartlands, Democratic Republic of Congo including management planning with Joanna Elliott national park agencies, supporting high-level Vice President for Technical Design, learning exchanges between governments United Kingdom to improve the management of their Kathleen Fitzgerald When we began exploration for potential national protected area systems, protecting Director conservation work in the Democratic corridors, sometimes against unexpected Land Conservation Republic of the Congo (DRC) over six years WKUHDWVDVH[HPSOL¿HGE\WKHLOOHJDOTXDUU\ Steven Kiruswa, Ph.D. DJRRXU¿UVWWULSLQGLFDWHGWKHGDQJHUVDQG story in Kimana Kenya, and integrating Heartland Director, Maasai Steppe Heartland GLI¿FXOWLHV ZH ZRXOG IDFH RXU WZR VWDII livestock development and marketing into Tanzania ended up in rebel hands but fortunately our conservation program to improve returns Jimmiel Mandima were safely handed over to the United to communities who have selected wildlife Heartland Director, Zambezi Nations peacekeepers. This was during the conservation as a land use. This program Heartland Zambia last days of the civil war that had rocked the has potential for expansion across many FRXQWU\:HKDGVSHFL¿FDOO\EHHQDWWUDFWHG of our Heartlands where livestock keeping Simon Munthali, Ph.D. Regional Director, Southern by the need to conserve the bonobo within is an important livelihood and traditional Africa the Maringa- Lopori area of the Congo activity. South Africa Forest, which scientists feared was highly Philip Muruthi, Ph.D. endangered by a wide range of threats. As we continue to invest in these programs Director of Conservation Science and places, we are helping to bring more Kenya When we eventually commenced our work land under conservation, provide greater Fiesta Warinwa under the Central Africa Regional Program for economic incentives to communities living Heartland Director, the Environment (CARPE), we decided that with wildlife, building understanding of Kilimanjaro Heartland Kenya one of the key activities in support of local various species, their ecological needs and livelihoods and forest conservation would be how to mitigate the threats they pose to Eugène Rutagarama Heartland Director, to re-open trade of agricultural produce on their human neighbours, and training future Virunga Heartland WKH&RQJR5LYHUZLWKVSHFL¿FIRFXVRQWKH African conservation leaders. Our ultimate Fabian Musila Maringa Lopori, in some places "Congo", goal is to change the ecological and economic Heartland Director, others "MLW" Heartland by renting barges future of some of the most important wildlife Samburu Heartland Kenya and facilitating travel for traders to the area. conservation landscapes in Africa, and with 7KH¿UVWH[SHGLWLRQWKRXJKVXFFHVVIXOORVW the support of and in collaboration with our EDITOR Daudi Sumba one of the cargo barges to the military during many partners we are progressively doing Director Capacity the demilitarization process. so, challenges notwithstanding. Building and leadership Development In the last few years we have dealt with similar challenges, but the organization and the team have remained steadfast in African Heartland News is published three times a year. This our commitment to the Congo Heartland edition is funded by the Netherlands and to DRC as a country. The support of Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Helen Gichohi, the government of DRC, our staff in the President, African Wildlife Foundation © 2009 African Wildlife Foundation ¿HOG D PDMRULW\ RI ZKRP DUH &RQJROHVH P.O. Box 48177, 0100 the enthusiasm of the communities on Nairobi Kenya Tel: +254 20 2710367 the ground and the strong leadership the Fax: +254 20 2710372 [email protected] program has enjoyed at all levels have www.awf.org African Heartland News page 3 Ê Ê //Ê " - ,6/" continued from page 1 Opening of Conservation Science Centre in Lomako Yokakola Reserve, DRC © AWF who are vastly experienced in tourism in the region. The goal was to give the operator an opportunity to take guests to the Heartland and use the trip to assess the needs for a successful visit in terms of infrastructure needs, time and service support needs. The operator immediately proposed to develop a luxury tented campsite next to the research centre for bonobo tourism. A second was to work with AWF Staff traveling to Lomako by boat on Maringa River in the near future to conduct some trial tourism safaris to the area. Tourism will only program in the Lomako area that was led by, among thrive in the area if infrastructure is improved. With others, the current Director of the Congo Heartland, support from donors, AWF and ICCN plan to build a Jef Dupain. However, this program was halted in the small airstrip at Lingunda to improve the mode of late 1990s when civil war broke out in the DRC. The travel to the area and shorten the journey for tourists centre is a welcome initiative for the conservation who wish to visit the area. We hope to make this area community because it provides an opportunity to re- Africa’s premiere bonobo-viewing area in the near establish the bonobo research program, determine the future. population status of the species, for which very little © AWF information exists, and restart a bonobo and forest conservation program. The next great opportunity for the bonobos of Lomako is to create a unique tourism experience based on the vast natural beauty, pristine forests and bonobos presence much in the same way as has been done with the endangered mountain gorillas population in the Virungas. Indeed, the process of habituating bonobos for tourism is currently underway. Years of civil war, however have ravaged existing infrastructure such as roads and airports and slowed development in the area. Today there are no roads, airstrips or tourist-class accommodations to support tourism. Access to the Plaque of the Lomako Center DUHDLVGLI¿FXOWZLWKWKHRQO\PHDQVRIWUDYHOWRWKH area being an arduous 22-hour canoe journey along the Maringa River. This story highlights the tremendous progress that AWF KDVPDGHLQDYHU\GLI¿FXOWDQGUHPRWHHQYLURQPHQW Despite all these challenges, AWF has already started Yet it also demonstrates our commitment to scale to develop tourism products that will in the short term enormous challenges in order to ensure that the allow selected groups of tourists to visit the area each world’s natural heritage is conserved and to empower year and generate revenues to support the reserve people who live with that heritage to protect it. With PDQDJHPHQW DQG SURYLGH EHQH¿WV WR FRPPXQLWLHV all these developments, the future for the equatorial The commissioning trip to the research centre was forests, the bonobos and the communities of Lomako also used as a trial run for tourism with Jengi Tours, looks bright.