OUR PROJECT OBJECTIVES FOR 2017
Our objective for this year is to expand the project to a nearby second site within the region, while continuing our core activities at Bulindi:
(i) school child sponsorship,
(ii) tree planting, and
(iii) daily monitoring of the chimpanzees
Additionally, we will:
(iv) construct a further 50 energy saving stoves for local households,
(v) start a conservation education programme for local schools,
(vi) construct boreholes to provide villagers with clean drinking water,
(vii) undertake initial forest surveys to expand the project to a second nearby site.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND OBJECTIVES
Participation: When we started the project in May 2015, 14 forest-owning households agreed to participate; one year later 22 forest-owning households were on board, with three further households set to join in early-mid 2017. These 22 households collectively own >90% of remaining forest in the chimpanzees’ home range in Bulindi. (Only two households, already in the process of clearing their forest, declined to participate.)
Sponsorship: As of September 2016, 33 schoolchildren and college students are being sponsored by BCCP. (Sponsorship includes school fees and, if needed, uniforms and scholastic materials). Additionally, BCCP helped 7 forest-owning households purchase livestock (pigs, cows) or bicycles, and helped another 5 households purchase construction materials to build their homes. Keeping children in school is costly for rural households in Uganda and children commonly drop out or skip terms due to lack of cash to pay school fees. All children sponsored by BCCP have remained in school – a solid measure of progress. Several older students have started or completed vocational courses with the project’s support.
Tree raising & planting: As of September 2016, more than 200,000 tree seedlings have been raised in the BCCP nursery and distributed to numerous households from 10 local villages for planting. We were able to undertake the planned extensive tree planting campaign. To date, we raised and distributed >200,000 tree seedlings including fast growing species (e.g. eucalyptus, pine) for household woodlots to meet future wood needs (relieving pressure on natural forest); indigenous fruit and timber trees for forest enrichment planting (Maesopsis, Khaya, figs); and coffee as a cash crop to boost local incomes. As a measure of progress, all forest owners agreed to plant indigenous trees at the forest edge (though seedling survival has been variable; see ‘Challenges’ section); coffee has been widely planted as a cash crop throughout Bulindi and is surviving well, as are the fast-growing exotics planted for woodlots. We also constructed energy-saving stoves in 50 households (with more planned for 2017) to reduce fuel consumption and the need to cut trees for fuelwood.
Halting deforestation: We are pleased to report that as of October 2016 none of the participating forest owners have cleared more forest since the project’s inception. Through supporting local households in key areas (i.e., sponsoring school children and supporting other household projects including woodlots, livestock rearing, house building and coffee cash cropping), the project has been successful in preventing further forest clearance in the majority of remaining forest used by the chimpanzees. (However, as mentioned above, 2 households declined to participate and continued clearing forest on their land).
Community support: We prioritize building strong, transparent relationships with villagers, and believe fostering good, long-term relationships within the local community has contributed to the success of the project at Bulindi. Notably, participating households have expressed great enthusiasm for the project’s continuation. Additionally, since tree seedlings raised by BCCP are distributed freely (not just to forest owners) the wider community also benefits from the project. Overall, the pilot project at Bulindi demonstrates that our approach can be successful at halting deforestation and gaining local community support.
Increasing tolerance of chimpanzees. While difficult to measure objectively, we are confident that BCCP is having the desired effect of increasing local tolerance of the chimpanzees. Informally, many villagers have stated that as a result of the project they benefit from conserving the forest and the chimpanzees.
Sponsorship: As of September 2016, 33 schoolchildren and college students are being sponsored by BCCP. (Sponsorship includes school fees and, if needed, uniforms and scholastic materials). Additionally, BCCP helped 7 forest-owning households purchase livestock (pigs, cows) or bicycles, and helped another 5 households purchase construction materials to build their homes. Keeping children in school is costly for rural households in Uganda and children commonly drop out or skip terms due to lack of cash to pay school fees. All children sponsored by BCCP have remained in school – a solid measure of progress. Several older students have started or completed vocational courses with the project’s support.
Tree raising & planting: As of September 2016, more than 200,000 tree seedlings have been raised in the BCCP nursery and distributed to numerous households from 10 local villages for planting. We were able to undertake the planned extensive tree planting campaign. To date, we raised and distributed >200,000 tree seedlings including fast growing species (e.g. eucalyptus, pine) for household woodlots to meet future wood needs (relieving pressure on natural forest); indigenous fruit and timber trees for forest enrichment planting (Maesopsis, Khaya, figs); and coffee as a cash crop to boost local incomes. As a measure of progress, all forest owners agreed to plant indigenous trees at the forest edge (though seedling survival has been variable; see ‘Challenges’ section); coffee has been widely planted as a cash crop throughout Bulindi and is surviving well, as are the fast-growing exotics planted for woodlots. We also constructed energy-saving stoves in 50 households (with more planned for 2017) to reduce fuel consumption and the need to cut trees for fuelwood.
Halting deforestation: We are pleased to report that as of October 2016 none of the participating forest owners have cleared more forest since the project’s inception. Through supporting local households in key areas (i.e., sponsoring school children and supporting other household projects including woodlots, livestock rearing, house building and coffee cash cropping), the project has been successful in preventing further forest clearance in the majority of remaining forest used by the chimpanzees. (However, as mentioned above, 2 households declined to participate and continued clearing forest on their land).
Community support: We prioritize building strong, transparent relationships with villagers, and believe fostering good, long-term relationships within the local community has contributed to the success of the project at Bulindi. Notably, participating households have expressed great enthusiasm for the project’s continuation. Additionally, since tree seedlings raised by BCCP are distributed freely (not just to forest owners) the wider community also benefits from the project. Overall, the pilot project at Bulindi demonstrates that our approach can be successful at halting deforestation and gaining local community support.
Increasing tolerance of chimpanzees. While difficult to measure objectively, we are confident that BCCP is having the desired effect of increasing local tolerance of the chimpanzees. Informally, many villagers have stated that as a result of the project they benefit from conserving the forest and the chimpanzees.