THE BULINDI CHIMPS PROJECT NEEDS YOUR VOTE!!

​Exciting news! The Bulindi Chimpanzee & Community Project has been shortlisted for a prestigious grant from the EOCA European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA).  It’s up to the public to decide which projects are successful!
Funding from EOCA would enable us to INCREASE OUR IMPACT SIGNIFICANTLY.
It would help us conserve three more critically-threatened groups of chimpanzees in Uganda’s Hoima District, restore their degraded habitats, and improve the lives of local residents via conservation-friendly livelihoods.

Infant Chimpanzee at Bulindi.

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The PUBLIC VOTE runs from 4 October for 2 weeks.
PLEASE, please visit the EOCA site - http://bit.ly/VoteForBulindiChimps and vote for our project:
Habitat Restoration and Ecotourism Project for Chimpanzees, Uganda (it's the third project down). 
And please SHARE with your friends, family, and colleagues.  EVERY VOTE COUNTS!
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THANK YOU!

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Chimpanzee Habitat in Mairirwe, Hoima.

New baby chimps at Bulindi, Hoima

​In Hoima, chimpanzee habitat is under critical pressure for development and agricultural expansion. For many households, clearing forest is their most ready source of income.
The removal of forest causes chimpanzees to eat people’s crops to survive, leading to some being trapped or killed.
The region is further threatened by unregulated, opportunistic tourism; hence, no ethical or health regulations are followed, no facilities are available, and no conservation education is available to visitors.
 
Our project will work with local communities in THREE NEW AREAS to develop livelihood alternatives to reduce pressure on natural forest, conserve the chimpanzees, and boost household incomes. We will establish ‘chimp friendly’ coffee farming alongside tree planting, and – at one site – help the community develop responsible, eco-friendly and educational ecotourism. 

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BIODIVERSITY STUDY
At one site, local community members approached us for help conserving the forest and its chimpanzees through development of tourism. We will conduct a thorough biodiversity survey (including trees, primates, birds and butterflies) and ecotourism feasibility assessment.  Following this assessment, we will draw up recommendations and guidelines for sustainable ‘best practice’ ecotourism for the local community and local government. 
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Black & White Colobus, a primates species found in Hoima.

Coffee seedlings in the Project tree nursery at Bulindi, Hoima.

REFORESTATION, WOODLOTS & COFFEE FARMING
We will establish tree nurseries to raise and plant 600,000 tree seedlings.  These will include 200,000 coffee trees to offer an alternative income source for villagers; 200,000 native species for forest enrichment planting; and 200,000 fast-growing exotics for household woodlots outside the forest. 
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ENERGY SAVING STOVES & CONSERVATION EDUCATION
We will construct 150 energy-saving stoves to reduce household fuel consumption and need to cut trees, and increase cooking efficiency.  
We will also implement a bespoke, locally-appropriate conservation education program for schoolchildren and adults.

An energy-saving stove, constructed for local households.

Your vote will help us conserve this forest in Mairirwe for its resident chimpanzees.

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​Thank you for
your support! 

​Every vote counts!