Karisoke’s Future: A Center of Excellence

The Karisoke™ Research Center looks forward to a bright future as a regional center of excellence in biodiversity. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International is exploring ways to establish a permanent, consolidated Karisoke™ campus at the foot of the Volcanoes mountains, where we have monitored and protected the mountain gorillas and their ecosystem for more than 45 years. The future Karisoke would accommodate our growing staff, visiting students and scientists, local students and conservationists, community projects, and more.  

Our goals for Karisoke’s future include:

• An improved and expanded home base for Karisoke™ tracker and anti-poaching teams
• Expanded capacity building for African conservationists through education, training, equipment and other resources
• Expanded research capabilities through facilities for visiting scientists, students and local conservationists
• A central base for community outreach programs and partnerships, including health, education and economic development projects in neighboring villages.

This vision builds on Karisoke’s unique history as a world leader in the study and protection of the critically endangered mountain gorillas; its current programs that include work with other endangered species sharing the gorillas’ ecosystem; and its partnerships with local communities.