Conservation, Restoration, and Sustainable Use in Practice
Details
Note: Yale School of the Environment (YSE) was formerly known as the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES). News articles and events posted prior to July 1, 2020, refer to the School's name at that time.
Summary
Western Rwanda is a high-elevation landscape of remnant natural forests embedded in a mosaic of intensively managed smallholder farms and commercial plantations. Extending along a north-south ridge separating the Congo and Nile River Basins, the Congo Nile Divide region is one of the most biologically rich in Africa. Crowned by Volcanoes, Gishwati-Mukura, and Nyungwe National Parks, the region contains more than half of Africa’s bird species, 40% of its mammal species, high levels of endemism, and charismatic yet threatened species like mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. With the highest human population density on the continent, Rwanda’s steep terrain and intensive agriculture require tailored strategies for restoration and conservation.
Over six days, participants of this field course will deepen their understanding of tropical forest ecology and strategies for restoration and conservation in a complex human-dominated landscape. They will visit restoration sites, protected areas, and smallholder farms and interact with restoration practitioners, park managers, and smallholder farmers to learn firsthand about motives, strategies, and challenges for land management decisions. The course will be held across the Congo Nile Divide region in conjunction with local partners to provide experiential, place-based learning opportunities designed for applying and integrating key concepts to which participants have been exposed in the Tropical Forest Landscapes (TFL) certificate program.
The course is hosted by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), ELTI’s partner in Rwanda, which has a more than 40-year legacy of conserving and restoring Rwanda’s montane flora and fauna.
*This course is offered only to past participants of ELTI's Tropical Forest Landscapes online certificate program.
Content
Highlights:
- Learn about the interconnected relationships of people and the environment in the Congo-Nile Divide region of Rwanda.
- Engage first-hand with diverse approaches to conservation and restoration across scales and land use histories.
- Participate in hands-on exercises related to a range of forest restoration strategies employed in the region.
- Meet local organizations, leaders, and landowners pioneering tailormade approaches to riparian buffer restoration, native species reforestation, and agroforestry systems.
Location: Congo Nile Divide Region, Rwanda
Duration: 6 days
Cost: USD $2,500*
*The course fee does not include the cost of travel from your city of origin to and from the Kigali International Airport (KGL) International Airport1. All participants (regardless of tuition discount) must arrange and fund their own travel to Kigali, Rwanda, including any needed visas to enter Rwanda, as well as any transit visas for layovers in other countries. WCS-ELTI will gladly provide a letter of invitation to support visa applications.
Sample Itinerary: Subject to change
-
Sunday, June 7 – Arrival in Kigali, Rwanda;* welcome dinner with Dr. Amy Vedder and Dr. Bill Weber
-
Monday, June 8 – Site visits and exercises to learn about riparian ecology and restoration strategies in Musanze, Rwanda
-
Tuesday, June 9 – Visit to conservation and restoration sites within Volcanoes National Park and community-based restoration sites in buffer zones
-
Wednesday, June 10 – Exploration of forest dynamics and succession; nursery management and tree planting exercises at the Gishwati-Mukura National Park
-
Thursday, June 11 – Visits with local farmers and demonstration of on-farm restoration, agroforestry, and nursery practices; site assessment exercises in Karongi district
-
Friday, June 12 – Wildlife conservation and ecotourism activities; final course discussion
-
Saturday, June 13 – Travel to Kigali, departure day