Project History
In 2001, the Kibale Forest Education Project (KFEP) was created by Michael Stern and Rebecca Goldstone to teach local students about the amazing biological wealth of their National Park. Over 850 students from five schools participated during the project’s first year, taking day-long trips to experience the forest and meet its inhabitants.
Since that time, the project has and continues to undergo a remarkable evolution. Under the auspices of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), Ugandan teacher Margaret Kemigisa expanded the project to include eight schools. Over 1,000 students were brought to visit Kibale in 2003 and 2004. Although JGI found that it needed to direct its energies elsewhere in late 2004, Ms. Kemigisa continued to educate local citizens about the park. Working without a salary, she established environmental clubs and organized environmental rallies at local schools and formed a women’s craft group that utilizes sustainable resources from around the park.
Ms. Kemigisa also started seedling nurseries at local schools to teach sustainable methods of growing fuel wood. Presently, wood and charcoal are the sole sources of energy for 98% of people surrounding Kibale. This pressing need has shaped the creation of the current project.
Armed with the experience and relationships gained through its development, the KFEP has begun a new incarnation as the Kibale Community Fuel Wood Project. A collaboration between local citizens, Chimp-n-Sea Wildlife Conservation Fund, McGill University and the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the project establishes demonstration tree nurseries and actively promotes home-grown wood. Through an educational outreach program, the project seeks to enhance appreciation for the National Park while teaching and encouraging the use of environmentally sustainable practices. As the project's Manager, Ms. Kemigisa continues her impassioned work. By creating a legal wood source to satisfy human needs, the project will better protect the natural forest and improve park-people relationships, helping to provide a more secure future for both wildlife and humans.
