This is the time to take the decisive step, to move from using and misusing nature to contemplating it. We have lost the contemplative dimension; we have to get it back at this time. Excerpt from “Pope Francis says pandemic can be a ‘place of conversion’” by Austen Ivereigh I was curious to know if the Pope… Read More
Why Threatened and Endangered Animals May Become Additional Casualties of the Pandemic
Food for thoughts from Yashar Ali … Sadly, I’ve been expecting this. Soon, I’ll be sharing what I’m doing to help mitigate this crisis Source: NYTimes Threatened and endangered animals may become additional casualties of the pandemic This story is framed around how the loss of billions of tourism revenue is impacting the protection of… Read More
Virunga: How a Park on the Verge of Collapse Became Hope for People and Nature
The birth of a small mountain gorilla again on January 8, the very first for 2020, was celebrated as a big event. This is proof of the restoration of ecosystems and the sustainable development of natural resources in this protected area declared “world heritage of humanity” and which covers 8,000 km². Virunga National Park (ViNP)… Read More
1.000 Reasons to Save Murchison Falls National Park
In Uganda, In Uganda, Murchison Falls is Number 1 China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) is one of the largest construction groups in the world. In Uganda, it built the 40-kilometer expressway between Entebbe Airport and the capital city, Kampala. The Export Import Bank of China is involved in the destruction of the Murchison Falls National… Read More
DRC: Oil Exploitation Threatens Virunga and Salonga Parks
A petition gathering more than 23,000 signatures opposes the exploitation of oil in Virunga and Salonga parks. Communities bordering Virunga Park continue to raise awareness about any oil exploitation initiative in this UNESCO World Heritage Park. Already in September 2018, they had sent to the Presidency of the Republic, a petition signed by over 23,000… Read More
Virunga Rangers Project: Meet the Heroes Who Risk their Lives to Protect the Park and Communities
Visit Virunga National Park New Website and Page dedicated to the Ranger Project & DONATE ! Here below a small preview: Virunga’s Rangers stand fearlessly on the frontline of conservation for the protection of the park’s wildlife, natural resources, and for the surrounding communities. They routinely face harsh physical conditions, injury, or even death. In the… Read More
National Geographic and Virunga: Inside the Fight to Save One of the World’s Most Dangerous Parks
Virunga, one of the wonders of Africa, is home to rare gorillas—and plagued by violence and economic tension. BY ROBERT DRAPER PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRENT STIRTON This story appears in the July 2016 issue of National Geographic magazine. When the ranger studied the ragtag crew he was supervising, seven young men repairing a rugged road that… Read More
Fishers Unite: Fish not Oil in Virunga and Lake Edward
Fishers Unite! All Pictures from Enanga.org It is abnormal for a fisher or fishing community to depend on imported fish for protein. It is an unhappy situation when an experienced fisherman returns from a fishing trip with only flotsam or other debris, including plastics, in the nets. Unfortunately, this is the reality facing fishers in… Read More
Virunga: African Heritage and its Sustainable Development
The subject of African heritage and its sustainable development – or African heritage and sustainable development – has become one of the most discussed issues of late, both within and outside the continent. The discussion has not been confined only to heritage practitioners but has traversed the traditional boundaries, bringing in the practitioners, academicians, communities,… Read More
Linking Tourism and Conservation in Virunga: One of the Planets Hotspots!
Virunga was the first national park on the continent of Africa. Today the Virunga National Park of the DR Congo is part of a three countries’ (including Rwanda and Uganda) group of protected areas covering the Virunga mountains, one of the planets hotspots with mountain gorillas as flag-ship species. For much of its long history,… Read More