Another great milestone for the Rwanda’s gorilla conservation initiatives is the establishment of the Ellen DeGeneres Campus, whose main mission of existence is to create more space for engaging the different stakeholders in conservation. These include scientists, tourists, conservation partners, students, and local community members around Volcanoes National Park.
Rwanda is one of the few African countries that have made significant strides toward conservation and sustainable tourism, which is evident by the existence of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund which has been fundamental in the protection of endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda, for over 5 decades. Bringing together these stakeholders is one of the ways of advancing the collective goal of protecting mountain gorillas and the planet in general.
For over 5 decades, the Dian Fossey Fund has been tirelessly working to conserve the endangered mountain gorilla populations as well as offering support to the individuals that share these Great Apes’ Forest home – the surrounding local communities. When Dian Fossey arrived at Volcanoes National Park, she set up two tents on the foothills of Karisimbi and Bisoke (known as Karisoke) in 1967 and personnel grew from one person (Dian Fossey herself) to a staff of over 300 members.
For several years (until recently), the Dian Fossey Fund staff operated on a tented space that included one classroom and a kitchen that was converted into a Laboratory, and it was far from the Mountain gorillas’ natural habitat as well as local communities. There was an urgent need for a home to cater to the growing workload and team. While celebrating the 50th anniversary in 2018, leaders drafted a strategic decision of moving on a bigger 2-decade dream of creating a state-of-art and purpose-built facility around Volcanoes National Park to increase conservation work and science.
Just a few months after this decision was made, the Dian Fossey Fund received an unexpected gift from renowned TV host Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi. From that time, many donors, small and large joined in supporting this great cause hence leading to the establishment of the state-of-art and Purpose-built research and learning facility in Rwanda. This facility is the incredible vision of the Award-winning MASS Design Group and for this reason, was recognized as one of the top 10 most anticipated architectural projects in the African Continent, in addition to featuring on Architectural Digest and 60 minutes.
Rwanda is one of the countries that preach and practice sustainable tourism, construction of the Campus was done with locally-sourced materials and supplies to conserve and limit its impact on the natural environment through reforestation of previously agricultural land, rainwater harvesting as well as green roofs. Over $15 million was invested in the country’s economy and more than 2,400 construction jobs were created for the local community members hence sustainable development. The Campus was named after Ellen DeGeneres and opened its doors in February 2022.
More details about the Ellen DeGeneres Campus in Rwanda
The Ellen DeGeneres campus in Rwanda
The Twelve plus acre eco-friendly facility is set just adjacent to Volcanoes National Park and has now become a perfect stop point for traveling returning from gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking, or any other activities in this iconic Rwandan tourist destination. The Ellen DeGeneres Campus is comprised of three major buildings named after prominent conservationists. They include the Cindy Broder Conservation Gallery, the Sandy and Harold Price Research Center, as well as the Rob and Melani Walton Education Center. The Center also features cozy and well-furnished housing structures for visiting students and Researchers.
Science and research as always been the core of what is done at Dian Fossey Fund hence the established Sandy and Harold Price Research center is fundamental in advancing research in different areas such as paleontology, genetics, and Physiology. The five-time increase in Laboratory space will open doors for more work with scientific collaborators as well as students, in addition to providing more training opportunities to aspiring young conservationists in the African Continent.
With an expanded classroom space, computer laboratory, and science Library, teaching opportunities are enhanced with local, regional, and International Universities, in addition to hosting conservation-related training, conferences, Seminars, and workshops. Learning here goes beyond the four walls of the classroom as the Ellen DeGeneres Campus is also a living Laboratory with more than 250,000 native plants that comprise the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Trail which will offer a diverse experience for Botany field trips.
The Cindy Broder Conservation gallery is where visitors can learn about the history of mountain gorilla research and conservation from Dian Fossey’s time until the present day. While Ellen DeGeneres is a center for scientific discovery, it also supports the country’s ecotourism sector. The Center is open for guided tours by travelers (between 9 am and 5 pm, closed on 7th April in honor of Genocide Remembrance Day) and the experience is enhanced by the existence of the Gorilla Café where visitors can grab a cup of coffee while touring. There is also a gift shop exhibiting local crafts and gorilla portraits/carvings made by the local community members. When heading for the guided tour through the Ellen DeGeneres Campus, it is always advised to wear warm clothing because temperatures sometimes become chilly.