Primate Expertise

Over the past two months, our social media has been flooded with your incredible messages, childhood memories from Itombwe, and support for our work from Idjwi Island to the home of the Grauer’s gorilla, Kahuzi Biega National Park.

We are deeply moved. Your encouragement reminds us exactly why we head into the field every single day. Through your support, the legacy of our mentor, Dr. Augustin K. Basabose, continues to thrive.

👉 Read our full thank-you newsletter and community update here: https://primatexpertise.com/primate-expertise-may-newsletter/

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀, 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞 𝗬𝗢𝗨 for being part of the Primate Expertise family. Together, we protect, understand, and love this wild world. 🌿✨

Wild Earth Allies

Primate Expertise May Newsletter – Primate Expertise Your Words, Our Greatest Strength: Thank You to Our Community! – Primate Expertise

𝗔 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺. 🌿🌲🍀

We are celebrating International Biological Diversity Day on a high note with the success of our 𝗔𝗽𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀® project. These magnificent photos of a chameleon and birds were taken in our medicinal plant garden in 𝗖𝗶𝗯𝘂𝗴𝗮 (a Batwa village) and our 𝗠𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗯𝗮 experimental forest, respectively—both located near the 𝗞𝗮𝗵𝘂𝘇𝗶-𝗕𝗶𝗲𝗴𝗮 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸 (KBNP).

For 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 and Wild Earth Allies, the presence of these animals is fresh evidence of the initiative's positive impact, marking the return of wildlife to areas that were once degraded.

These spaces were developed by the late 𝗗𝗿. 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘀𝗲 to support the Batwa community and demonstrate reforestation techniques using ape trees. Today, this garden and forest fulfill a double mission:

𝟭. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: The garden preserves the Batwa's ancestral knowledge and traditional medicine, reducing their reliance on park resources.
𝟮. 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗴𝗲: Both sites are thriving as vital habitats for other wildlife species essential to the local ecosystem.

Every unexpected visitor, like this chameleon and these birds, illustrates the tangible and lasting impact of 𝗗𝗿. 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘀𝗲’s vision around the KBNP. His legacy lives on through this restored biodiversity.

𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

The sustainable conservation of the Grauer's gorilla also goes through the school benches. This is the reason behind our environmental education program.

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 (𝗣𝗘𝘅), in partnership with Wild Earth Allies, has trained facilitators from the 𝗘𝗻𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗺𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲 𝗹𝗮 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 (Children Friends of Nature) school clubs. The training focused on basic botany, aiming at the identification of local plant species and an introduction to creating herbaria.

Participants in this session can now recognize and document the flora around the 𝗞𝗮𝗵𝘂𝘇𝗶-𝗕𝗶𝗲𝗴𝗮 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸. They actively participated, enriching the training with their own knowledge under the guidance of our consultant, 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳. 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗜𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗪𝗔𝗠𝗜.
𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 and 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀, passing this essential knowledge down to the next generation helps develop:

🎋A better understanding of the ecosystem

✍️Increased environmental awareness

🦍A sustainable commitment to conservation

By investing in environmental education, we are preparing children to become true guardians of biodiversity, which is essential for the survival of the Grauer's gorilla.