More than 25,000 people have now visited the campus, including 5,500 students from local schools. We hosted over 300 science students from local universities and held over 40 trainings and workshops for young scientists, local leaders and women’s groups. It has been an incredible year for anyone who has visited this magnificent multi-acre facility, nestled next to Volcanoes National Park.
And, of course, our own staff also take full advantage of their new on-campus spaces, including labs, classrooms, meeting rooms, outdoor pathways, and beautiful views. Here are some of our staff’s favorite places on campus:
The Cindy Broder Conservation Gallery:
“This gallery is my favorite place on campus because through the different sections of this building, like our gorilla hall of fame, interactive experiences like our theater and virtual reality, guests can learn about gorillas. and the incredible work our organization is doing to protect them. So far, we have had 25,000 visitors, 50% of whom are from Rwanda. I would like to thank everyone who has visited and supported us. We look forward to welcoming you more of you very soon!”
Kadiara King’ai, manager of the Cindy Broder Conservation Gallery
The Diane and Hal Brierley Virunga belvedere:
“I love this campus. My favorite place is the Virunga Overlook, for many reasons, but first of all because you can see the whole campus and the landscape. You can also see the forest, where mountain gorillas live and where Dian Fossey lived and worked. I come here to recharge my batteries and discover the beauty of the campus and the park.
Felix Ndagijimana, director of programs for the Fossey Fund in Rwanda
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s campus-wide interpretive trail:
“We find many species on these biodiversity trails, such as birds, plants, frogs and butterflies, and we use them to train students in species identification and in designing research projects. Visitors also love seeing these species and the beautiful nature on our trails, as the wildlife here continues to grow and return.
Deogratias Tuyisingize, Ph.D., Fossey Fund Biodiversity Research Program Manager
The classrooms of the Rob and Melani Walton Education Center:
“The campus is amazing in general, but my favorite places are the classrooms. They are amazing for hosting our various conservation education activities – they are large enough to accommodate large audiences and have the excellent equipment needed to run our programs on campus.
Maurice Ngiramahoro, Head of Conservation Education at the Fossey Fund
Sandy and Harold Price Research Center laboratories:
“The labs we work in are like magical places because here we are able to reveal secrets about gorillas that we wouldn’t be able to know just by observing them in the field. For example, from samples of gorilla poop, we can learn a lot about their health status and even analyze their DNA to determine who their ancestors are…”
Winnie Eckardt, Ph.D., Fossey Fund Rwanda Research Director and Rose Umuhoza, Lab Coordinator
