Established
in 1991, the Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation (ITFC) is a post-graduate research institute of
Mbarara University of
Science and Technology (MUST). ITFC is located on the edge of
Bwindi
Impenetrable National Park (BINP or ‘Bwindi’ for short),
a UNESCO World Heritage site in South West Uganda. This area has numerous
endemic species and half the world’s mountain gorillas (Gorilla
gorilla berengei) which have attracted a valuable tourist trade trough gorilla trekking and other related activities.
The wider region is poor and densely populated (about 500
people/km2) with people mainly dependent on subsistence
agriculture. Forest cover stops abruptly at the park boundary.
Our mission is to support and undertake research, monitoring and
capacity development; to bolster conservation understanding and
practice in the region.
We have a
track record
of providing management support and guidance, as well as of capacity
building, in Uganda. ITFC has carried out, often with
partners,
a range of biological and socio?economic research and monitoring,
aimed at addressing the key conservation challenges in the region. ITFC works closely with the
Uganda
Wildlife Authority (UWA), the
National
Forest Authority?(NFA) and other conservation partners
working in the region to ensure that results and recommendations
are translated into management decisions and actions.?
We
welcome not only researchers and students but all visitors to the
forest and its rich wildlife. Our education centre and other
facilities are available for hire to researchers and environmental
education organisations—offering an ideal venue for workshops and
outdoor education projects.
More than 60 post-graduate students have
studied at ITFC and are now amongst Uganda’s leading
conservationists and scholars. Researchers from around the world are
attracted by ITFC’s reputation as a centre pursuing globally
important issues in a unique setting and with
impressive facilities, including
offices, library, internet access, herbarium, laboratory and
accommodation.
Although our activities cover
numerous forests and protected areas and sorrounding areas from the entire region, we have
mainly been focusing on Bwindi,
Mgahinga Gorilla
National Park, and Echuya Central
Forest Reserve. We are currently running studies in
Queen Elizabeth
National Park,
Rwenzori
Mountains, Semuliki, Murchison Falls,
and
Mount Elgon.
ITFC is a conducive place for research, due to its location and
long term presence. We have been hosting organizations like the
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology since 1998, TEAM Network:
Tropical Ecology Assessment & Monitoring (since 2009) and
the Rare Finch Conservation Group search for Shelley’s Crimsonwing, just
to mention but a few.
ITFC is
supported by several sponsors and partners but
long-term financial security is a challenge. Continuing support is
required.
In the USA, tax-deductible donations to support ITFC can be
sent to:
The
Africa Program
Wildlife Conservation Society
2300 Southern Boulevard
Bronx, NY 10460, USA
www.wcs.org/Uganda
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About ITFC