ECOTRUST is a not-for-profit conservation organization established in Uganda in 1999 to conserve biological diversity and enhance social welfare by promoting innovative and sustainable environmental management. The organization delivers conservation finance to thousands of smallholders undertaking restoration as a business in rural communities. ECOTRUST strives to combine the conservation of natural resources with livelihoods improvement through building partnerships for conservation between local, national, international, private and public institutions. ECOTRUST has built a unique business model centered on “Landscape Restoration as Business” using market-based approaches to mobilize financing from private philanthropy, public philanthropy, and emerging sustainability investment ecosystems
Project story
This is a community – designed / owned / led corridor restoration programme, seeking to secure and restore the connectivity of the wildlife corridor between the Bugoma-Budongo Forest Reserves in Western Uganda to ensure conservation of the rich biodiversity, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods in the Northern Albertine Rift. The tropical forests of the Albertine Rift harbour an astounding biodiversity; 52% of Africa’s bird species; 39% of its mammal species; 19% of its amphibians; 14% of its reptiles; and 14% of its plants (Plumptre et al., 2007). The once densely forested project area has been subjected to widespread and rapid degradation, resulting in fragmentation, reducing the corridor connectivity. The fragmentation crisis for biodiversity is severe, especially for the flagship endangered species, the eastern chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). Uganda’s remaining 5,000 chimpanzees are confined to the forests of the Northern Albertine Rift (Plumptre, Cox, & Mugume, 2003). Astonishingly, a few groups of chimpanzees continue to move through farmlands between forest patches, with some having their entire home ranges in community land (McCarthy et al., 2015; McLennan & Plumptre, 2012; McLennan, 2008).
Project updates
Team
Reconnecting Bugoma-Budongo forests in Kikuube, Uganda
ECOTRUST is a not-for-profit conservation organization established in Uganda in 1999 to conserve biological diversity and enhance social welfare by promoting innovative and sustainable environmental management. The organization delivers conservation finance to thousands of smallholders undertaking restoration as a business in rural communities. ECOTRUST strives to combine the conservation of natural resources with livelihoods improvement through building partnerships for conservation between local, national, international, private and public institutions. ECOTRUST has built a unique business model centered on “Landscape Restoration as Business” using market-based approaches to mobilize financing from private philanthropy, public philanthropy, and emerging sustainability investment ecosystems
Project story
This is a community – designed / owned / led corridor restoration programme, seeking to secure and restore the connectivity of the wildlife corridor between the Bugoma-Budongo Forest Reserves in Western Uganda to ensure conservation of the rich biodiversity, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods in the Northern Albertine Rift. The tropical forests of the Albertine Rift harbour an astounding biodiversity; 52% of Africa’s bird species; 39% of its mammal species; 19% of its amphibians; 14% of its reptiles; and 14% of its plants (Plumptre et al., 2007). The once densely forested project area has been subjected to widespread and rapid degradation, resulting in fragmentation, reducing the corridor connectivity. The fragmentation crisis for biodiversity is severe, especially for the flagship endangered species, the eastern chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). Uganda’s remaining 5,000 chimpanzees are confined to the forests of the Northern Albertine Rift (Plumptre, Cox, & Mugume, 2003). Astonishingly, a few groups of chimpanzees continue to move through farmlands between forest patches, with some having their entire home ranges in community land (McCarthy et al., 2015; McLennan & Plumptre, 2012; McLennan, 2008).
Project updates
Team
Location
Uganda