Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Congo:
Meet a Jane Goodall Institute Ranger

“It is the missing piece of the puzzle in conservation, protecting endangered species and nature itself. We must all come together to ensure we protect the rangers themselves on the front line.”

–Dr. Jane Goodall

Every day, park rangers risk their lives to protect wildlife and wild places from poaching and other threats. Sadly, it’s estimated that over 1,000 park rangers have been killed in the line of duty over the past 10 years. A large percentage of these are due to commercial poachers and armed militia groups. Park rangers are generally under-equipped, underpaid, and often under-appreciated. We think they are heroes. 

Becoming a park ranger is no easy feat, Their tasks are multifaceted and include a HUGE range of not only dangers and hazards, but they quite literally put their life on the line every day to ensure the safety of some of our most treasured wildlife. Rangers are real life super heroes, and their work is only possible thanks to generous donors like you.

Earth Warriors

Getting there is not a job for the faint hearted. Many of the Jane Goodall Institute Rangers are the ‘boots on the ground’ in Africa’s protected areas. Including Tchimpounga. 

These rangers are in charge of undertaking rigorous patrols of law enforcement and wildlife monitoring, community engagement and conservation management activities. It takes a unique type of individual to perform tasks expected of a park ranger in what are often extreme conditions. Due to the physical nature of the job, a high level of fitness and of course strength is required. 

Our friends and partners at the Thin Green Line Foundation know firsthand just how gruelling this onboarding can be. Sean Wilmore, President of the International Ranger Federation, Founder of The Thin Green Line Foundation and our Park Ranger program, has worked closely and tirelessly in a joint effort with the Jane Goodall Institute rangers to oversee and ensure a longstanding protection program is in place for chimpanzees across Tchimpounga. 

“Rangers are the missing link in conservation. ”  –Dr. Jane Goodall

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Some of the below may be confronting for some readers. Reader discretion is advised due to some difficult subject matters.

Deo, a young chimpanzee, was kept in a cage when rescuers found her

Tragically 75 per cent of rangers have been killed since 2016 as a direct result of poaching and wildlife trafficking, many murdered by the poachers that they were attempting to stop.

The Jane Goodall Institute has a long history with rangers and relies on these strong allies to keep our conservation initiatives functioning and progressing. In our many protected areas of research and conservation throughout Africa, we depend on rangers for many things, including:

     • Resource protection/management
     • Public safety
     • Patrolling grounds
     • Enforcing regulations
     • Conducting investigations
     • Performing search and rescues
     • Assistance in medical emergencies
     • And arguably most imperatively: Preventing wildlife poaching

The front line of fighting extinction

In the Congo Basin poachers kill thousands of chimps as a part of the illegal bushmeat trade, allowing only the smallest to live to be sold off as pets. The animal lives saved is an enormous figure directly thanks to the work of rangers preventing these poachers from succeeding. Without these protectors, endangered species like chimpanzees may be gone from this world forever.

Tchimpounga Park Rangers meeting the new Park Conservator Mr. Mpika. They are wearing masks during the Covid Pandemic.

You may have heard of the term ‘wildlife trafficking,’ in the context of graphic imagery of elephants being brutally murdered for their tusks, or piles and piles of the fins of sharks drying on the concrete. 

Public demand for wildlife and wildlife products has resulted in a boom of illegal trade, that is quickly pushing endangered species toward extinction. Working on the ground to prevent this tremendous loss of life is a fight against extreme danger and cruelty. It is because of the heroism of park rangers, that so many have been saved.

Everyday Jane Goodall Institute rangers risk their safety to protect chimps and their habitats at the 50,000 hectare Tchimpounga Nature Reserve. Without their bravery and self-sacrifice, our vision to ensure the long-term survival of chimpanzees would not be achievable.

“We work to equip, train and support rangers fighting on the front line of conservation, predominantly in conflict zones and developing countries,” explains Sean. “We also give direct support to the widows and families left behind.”

SPONSOR A  TCHIMPOUNGA CHIMP

From dawn to dusk

A morning routine commences at dawn, yet sleep is not something our rangers often receive. Their routine foot patrols start from one of three permanent bases that are strategically placed to maximise the rangers ability to detect illegal activity. 

Even though they always follow the same route, no two days are alike. Sometimes they’ll be removing dozens of snares that have been set to trap animals for bush meat. Other times they’ll come across illegal hunting of logging camps. 

Dangers after dark

Night time is the most dangerous for our rangers. 

Often these camps are unattended, so the rangers confiscate any remaining weapons or illicit material such as animal remains or charcoal, then dismantle any structures that have been built. The rigorous training our rangers receive means they’re ready and able to respond to potentially life-threatening situations, such as encounters with armed poachers. 

The rangers also conduct random patrols from temporary camps to access remote areas, catch people that may have become aware of their usual routes, or respond to reports of illegal activity from the community. While stationed at these camps, which can be set up for weeks at a time, the rangers live in small tents.

Although this is tough, the rangers know their work is crucial to the protection of the reserve, so they persevere. 

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JGI Tchimpounga rangers bring tents with them and spend the night in different places for watching the forest and defending it from poachers and illegal activities.

 Team work

The permanent bases are placed to allow the rangers to carry out vehicle checks in high-traffic areas too. Here they work with the Republic of Congo’s first canine wildlife detection unit to inspect all vehicles entering and exiting the reserve. 

This team of five highly-trained dogs help the rangers detect weapons, ammunition, animal remains, and timber that people attempt to smuggle out. They’ve been so successful at managing illegal activities that the Congolese government is working with JGI to expand the program into nearby protected areas like Conkouati Douli National Park.

A fourth permanent base is located along the Kouilou River near Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Centre (TCRC)’s island sites. Rangers stationed here conduct boat patrols to maintain the safety of the chimps. They make sure villages using the river maintain an appropriate distance from the islands and remove any illegal fishing nets they discover.

Sniffer dogs. JGI vet team takes care of them.

In addition to patrols and vehicle checks, each year during the dry season the rangers set up breaks to protect the chimps and sanctuary from uncontrolled fires. Local communities burn fields and Savannah within the reserve to make the foraging of mushrooms and plants easier. Unchecked these fires pose a significant threat to the sanctuary, so the rangers use breaks to minimise their risk. 

Eternal gratitude

We thank the unflinching heroism of people in the field making sure that our wild places remain wild, and safe. We would especially like to thank our Eco-Guards ever present at our Chimp Rehabilitation centre at Tchimpounga.

The dedication of our rangers means the chimps within the Tchimpounga Nature Reserve are far less vulnerable to the threats of poaching, habitat loss, and disease. Because of the generosity of supporters like you, they’re able to carry out this crucial, courageous work. 

GIVE TODAY: BECOME A CHIMP GUARDIAN

Perrine is a baby chimp that lives at Tchimpounga main sanctuary with chimps of his same age. You can sponsor him monthly as a Chimp Guardian.

Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Congo:
Meet a Jane Goodall Institute care giver

Care Givers are vital in the fight to end poaching and protect endangered chimpanzees. Tchimpounga only exists thanks to their patience, kindness and love. Meet Antonette a very special team member who’s healed hundreds of chimps.

Rescued chimps are stolen from their mothers by poachers, often witness terrible violence and are forced to live in tiny cages with little food. This means the young orphan is in terrible physical and emotional condition on arrival at the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Centre.

These tiny infants share 98% of their DNA with humans, so need urgent care to recover from their disturbing ordeal. This is where the Jane Goodall Institute’s (JGI) incredible local staff step in – especially our brilliant, gifted chimpanzee caregivers.

The VIPs behind the scenes

Tchimpounga would not exist without chimpanzee carers like Antonette. Her dedication and kindness enables the Jane Goodall Institute to give rescued endangered chimps the second chance they deserve. Antonette can only continue her vital work thanks to our generous monthly donors. Together, Chimp Guardians like you from all across the world help make that happen.

Orphan JeJe and his caregiver Antonette at the JGI’s Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in the Republic of Congo.

Introducing Antonette

Chimpanzees, like human children, have a long development period and often rely on their mothers until the age of eight or older. They are helpless for six months, dependent on their mothers for two years, and still cling until at least four years old.

When stolen chimps are traumatically torn from their mothers Antonette acts as their surrogate mother. Antonette devotes 24-hour care and affection to these babies when they arrive. Her goal is to make the baby chimpanzee feel protected, safe, and loved, as this early period is crucial for their psychological development. It has been a powerful journey for Antonette, and she has cared for a great many rescued orphans over the years.

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Caring through civil war

The Republic of the Congo’s capital of Brazzaville saw tremendous violence during the civil war. At the Brazzaville Zoo, where caregivers from the Aspinall Foundation cared for baby gorillas, both humans and animals were not safe. Therefore the Aspinall Foundation decided to move them to the Jane Goodall Institute’s Tchimpounga Centre to be secure away from the ongoing conflict.

Local resident Antonette was selected by the foundation given her experience to became one of the caregivers. She boldly took on the responsibility of caring for five infant gorillas during the war. With Anonette’s care and commitment to the infant gorillas they survived and were sent to a safe sanctuary to live out their lives in harmony.

Shortly after the war ended, Tchimpounga staff offered her a chimpanzee caregiver job at Tchimpounga, where she has been ever since.

Ebelle is a baby that arrived at Tchimpounga from a small village close to Imphondo city. He was kept as a pet.

Saving a species, one day at a time

A typical work day for Antonette looks very different to many of ours. Her offices are enclosures and forests, her commute is by boat along the Kouilou River and her colleagues include the 140 rescued chimpanzees that rely on her care!

A carer’s day starts with giving the chimps their first meal. For Antonette, looking after Tchimpounga’s youngest orphans, this means bottles of baby formula. 

Antonette found that caring for chimpanzee babies was very similar to caring for gorilla babies. She is a natural. In some ways, she realised, it’s like caring for human babies. Each one needs love, care and attention. Antonette shows patience to help them succeed, guides them to be their best, and ensures they grow up to be healthy, strong, social members of their integrated chimpanzee communities.

Providing a constant sense of love and protection is crucial to the babies’ rehabilitation. Antonette knows that through patience and love she can help the babies be their best. During her many years at Tchimpounga she’s nurtured some of our most traumatised chimps back to health and watched them grow to be strong, socially integrated members of their communities. 

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Healing the horrors of poaching

For Antonette her job never stops. Many of the babies come to Tchimpounga anxious and afraid after being violently torn from their mothers as a result of poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking. To help them overcome their deep trauma and suffering, 

Antonette fully embraces her surrogate mother role, dedicating herself to providing round the clock care, just as she did with her own children. This includes sleeping with the infant chimps and waking throughout the night for feedings. 

George, Vienna, Kabi and Tina with JGI caregiver Antonette.

Eat, play, sleep, repeat

Once the chimps have had their fill of food they’re free to relax, play and explore. Antonette escorts the babies to a nearby forest where they can safely climb the trees, splash in the streams and taste the plants under her doting eye.

Providing a constant sense of love and protection is crucial to the babies’ rehabilitation. During her many years at Tchimpounga she’s nurtured some of our most traumatised chimps back to full health.

For Antonette her job never stops. Many of the babies come to Tchimpounga anxious and afraid. To help them overcome their deep trauma and suffering,

Antonette fully embraces her surrogate mother role, dedicating herself to providing round the clock care, just as she did with her own children. This includes sleeping with the infant chimps and waking throughout the night for feedings.

With each chimpanzee, Antonette witnesses the terror and depression they arrive with disappear. This transformation has everything to do with her love, which transcends species.

How you can help

Our Chimp Guardian monthly donors fund the tireless efforts of super heroes like Antonette, who devote themselves to healing Tchimpounga’s rescued chimps. By becoming better informed and taking action through a donation to the Jane Goodall Institute together we can secure a future where wildlife can thrive, forests can return and chimpanzees are no longer endangered.

It’s only thanks to people like you that Antonette’s work is possible: we are so grateful to our Chimp Guardians for their continued, generous support!

Become a Chimp Guardian today


See for yourself below the connection Antonette has with Anzac, and all the other Tchimpounga infants who think of her as Mum:

Celebrate International Women’s Day: Meet Zara Bending

This week we’re celebrating just a few of the thousands of incredible woman who make up the Jane Goodall Institute Australia (JGIA) family – and beyond!

After yesterday’s starter with Roots & Shoots Tasmania Coordinator, Vineeta, today we introduce you to policy powerhouse Zara Bending.

Fighter for wildlife, award-winning lecturer, passionate animal activist, prolific published writer and volunteer Board Director of the Jane Goodall Institute Australia. Zara wears many complimentary, and connected, hats.

Born in Western Sydney, Zara is the dedicated, deeply knowledgeable lead of the Jane Institute’s global Forever Wild campaign – fighting wildlife trafficking worldwide of all species. An award-winning lecturer and associate at the Centre for Environmental Law at Macquarie University, Zara’s biggest passion is protecting wildlife. A recognised expert on illegal wildlife trade, Zara serves in criminal proceedings, parliamentary inquiries, campaigning and activism – to stop our fellow earthlings be commodified, hunted to extinction and abused.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you? And why do you think it’s still important?

International Women’s Day is an opportunity for women and our allies to acknowledge all we have achieved towards gender equality, despite near insurmountable odds and just how far we still need to push. For me it comes down to celebrating three R’s: resilience, resistance and representation.

How did you get involved with JGIA?

I joined the JGIA Board in 2015 and now also work with JGI-Global as an expert on illegal wildlife trade. What stood out for me was how strongly inclusion featured in the position advert. Once joining, one of the first things I worked on was formalising our Equal Employment Opportunity Policy with then CEO Nancy Moloney.

What qualities and attributes of Jane keep you motivated?

Jane is many things to many people, but for me it’s her work ethic, compassion for all life on Earth, intellect (I still get butterflies when I see her track changes on a document!) and ability to move people to action that keeps me on-task.

Help create hope for endangered wildlife. Donate today >>

For you, what are the most vital issues facing women – and our entire planet – today?

So many of the ills facing our planet could be solved if we promote women’s autonomy and self-determination: reproductive health and rights, equal access to education and employment, freedom from gender-based violence – including forced marriage. Women are disproportionately impacted by climate change, economic downturn and all the existential crises bearing down on our species.

What advice would you give 10-year-old you with hindsight?

If you want to be successful in anything, failing is part of the process (or, ‘first attempt’ as we say in learning). Be brave, learn from your mistakes, be kind to others and yourself, and when you fail, just try to fail forwards, not backwards.

What is your key message to other women with similar goals?

Our planet, and all the various forms of life with whom we share it, requires more from us to survive – let alone thrive. When 50% of our species are arbitrarily and systemically disenfranchised, we deny everyone the chance at a future with less suffering and greater prosperity. The fight for gender equality is a fight for our collective future. So, anytime the world taunts you to “fight like a girl”, take the invitation and show them. #ChooseToChallenge.

Empower more incredible leaders like Zara: join our donor community >>

Further Reading:


Celebrate International Women’s Day: Meet Vineeta Gupta

Our famous founder is one of many bold, brilliant, game-changing women at the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI). From the youngest Roots & Shoots members to our global CEO, we are very lucky to have countless curious, compassionate female leaders among us. All courageously committed to creating hope in their communities for the future of our interconnected earth.

Here in Australia we have some particularly inspiring local legends. As we celebrate International Women’s Day together with our global family, this week we will showcase five of them – all tirelessly working towards this year’s theme to #BreakTheBias for a more diverse, equitable and inclusive world. (We could easily have made it fifty).

From leading-edge scientists to social-justice campaigners, global law-transformers to political powerhouses, we hope you are as inspired reading about them – as we are working with them. So, let’s begin.

Vineeta Gupta: Microbiologist, Climate Leader, Campaigner & Organiser 

Vineeta, or Vini, is vital in growing our Roots & Shoots youth empowerment program across Australia.

Currently the State Coordinator for Tasmania, Vini is growing our movement down south to build a community of young, empowered change makers of hope. 100% voluntarily, she’s driven by her own deep passion for environmentalism, alongside studying Microbiology at the University of Tasmania, working as a researcher and campaigning with the Australian Youth Climate Coalition plus she’s Climate Reality Leader.

Previously Vini was part of our dynamic National Youth Leadership Council training program. Every year we recruit a collective of incredible young people to learn skills, gain confidence, build networks and develop direction as future environmental leaders. As an engaged, enterprising member she was offered the long-term oppurtunitiy to build Roots & Shoots in Tasmania.

Empower more young women like Vini: donate today >>

Vini has a keen interest in the cross-pollination of environmental advocacy with social justice, particularly the intersectional relationships between the environmental crisis and social inequality. In less than a year she helped host film festivals, co-developed the wellbeing program Return To Nature, increased the number of grants for Roots & Shoots projects and is now leading an ambitious advocacy campaign raising awareness about destructive Fast Fashion impacts – on animals, people and environment.

She believes that our environment is an integral part of our social well-being, and that we must do everything we can to conserve it. On days she hopes to inspire people in the same way as Dr Jane some day.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you? And why do you think it’s important?

Vini and a colleague carrying out research as part of her Microbiology major at University of Tasmania
Vini and a colleague carrying out research as part of her Microbiology major at University of Tasmania

International Women’s Day is a time of celebrating the women of our planet and letting them know that ‘they are enough’. You don’t have to be a CEO or martial arts black belt to be a strong, independent woman. You are all you ever need to be.

It’s a time to celebrate the achievements women have made around the world, starting with acknowledging our own. We often forget how important we are as individuals.

Yet, it is also a time to acknowledge that gender inequality is not something of the past. Regardless of where you live or what you do, whether you’re a female worker in the cotton industry or work in Parliament House, gender inequality chases women of all walks of life – even today.

Our earth needs you: give to keep Jane’s hope alive >>

International Women’s Day is a time of celebration, but also a time for us to look forward and assess what needs to be done to ensure a truly gender equal society.

This isn’t something only women should be thinking about; men need to stand in solidarity with women to create a future where gender inequality is truly something of the past.

Who are your top three female inspirations and why?

The three most important women in my life are:

Vini with her mum, while celebrating her parents' 25th wedding anniversary
Vini with her mum, while celebrating her parents’ 25th wedding anniversary

My Mum.

She was the first female role model I had. She’s compassionate, caring, holds her ground and manages work-life balance with an ease I have yet to master.

Dr Marie Curie

She inspired me to pursue STEM and reminds me everyday that women can excel in any field they persue – male dominated or not. And to never give up on our dreams.

Being the 1st person to have won the Nobel Prize twice, she proved that women can be at the forefront of accomplishments and be the first at achieving something unachievable.

Dr Jane Goodall.

Jane inspires me to be hopeful everyday in a world where hope can be difficult to find. She inspires me to get up and take action for what I believe in – whether that be social and climate justice, or creating a world that’s better for those to come – for, as she says: “the greatest danger to our future is apathy.”

Help young leaders: Join The Hope our donor community >>

What advice would you give to a 10-year-old with hindsight?

Let your imagination go crazy and know that as a woman you can also soar. No matter what you decide to do, always remember that you are enough and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

There’s no such thing as a woman’s job or a man’s job, all jobs are equal.

Remember to always do what brings you joy and instills you with hope.

What is your key message to other women with similar goals this IWD?

In a time of such uncertainty, it can be difficult to focus on our goals and aspirations, particularly justice focused aspirations.

Like myself I’m sure there are others who wake up thinking what’s the point of trying and trying again when all we face is failure to be heard and taken seriously. But always remember, if we can inspire one other person to care, then one day, we’ll have inspired the world.

~

Be a part of Vini’s work: join Roots & Shoots Tasmania’s Facebook Group or email tas@janegoodall.org.au

Jane’s World Wildlife Day message: “We are part of and depend on the natural world”

“We must face the shocking fact that we’re living through the sixth great extinction in the history of life on planet Earth.

“Fortunately we’re beginning to tackle the problems that we’ve created. We’re beginning to use our extraordinary intellect to put things right. People are waking up and realising that if we don’t take action to protect and restore biodiversity we’re doomed.

“It’s not too late…”

Dr. Jane Goodall shares her message for UN World Wildlife Day 2022. As we face the sixth great extinction, we not only recognise the tremendous loss of biodiversity – but also incredible individuals of these species. Dr. Goodall underscores the innate value and amazing beauty of global wildlife, as well as the urgent need to protect individuals and species, before they’re gone forever.

Help plant hope for generations to come!

Join our VIP donor community >> janegoodall.org.au/thehope
Or make a one off donation >> janegoodall.nationbuilder.com/donate

Wildlife Crime: Malawi joins Angola, Costa Rica and Gabon in calling for a new agreement

By Zara Bending, Board Director, JGIA​​​​​​

The President of the Republic of Malawi, H. E. Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has issued a statement joining Angola, Costa Rica and Gabon in calling for an additional Protocol under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC) on preventing and combating illicit wildlife trafficking:

“Malawi is determined to sustain its global reputation as a bastion and haven of flora and fauna diversity, as well as its impressive track record of tackling the illicit trade of ivory, for which it has been recognised internationally.”

“We can no longer stand by as we witness the destruction of our nation’s natural heritage. I therefore proudly support the call to action of President Ali Bongo Ondimba, President Carlos Alvarado Quesada and President Joao Lourenco and urge other countries to do the same.”

In response to the President’s statement, John Scanlon AO, Chair of The Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime (EWC), commended Malawi’s extraordinary environmental leadership, describing the Southern African country “as a global leader in wildlife conservation and in tackling illicit wildlife trafficking”.

“The EWC Initiative offers its full support to Malawi in advancing its calls for an additional protocol.”

“Malawi continues to demonstrate strong leadership in combating wildlife trafficking. As a founding steering group member of the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime, the ICCF Group commends President Chakwera’s endorsement of a new international agreement” added Susan Herman Lylis, Executive Vice President of the ICCF Group.

The Jane Goodall Institute Global (JGIG) is a proud International Champion of the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime. JGIG representative to the Initiative, Zara Bending, underscored the following upon Malawi’s announcement:

“We and our fellow EWC International Champions know that wildlife crime is a global problem requiring global collaboration to prevent and combat its reach. That collaboration, however, needs to be coordinated within an appropriate legal framework that is fit-for-purpose. We ardently support a Protocol to UNTOC as the best path forward. If adopted, the Protocol would be the fourth to UNTOC – the others concerning human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and illegal manufacturing and trafficking in firearms.”

Despite numerous calls, transnational, organised wildlife crime is not treated as a priority in most nations – with biodiverse-rich source countries being the most seriously impacted. Angola, Costa Rica and Gabon and Malawi have invited other States to align with them in sending an unequivocal message of the devastating scale, nature and consequences of wildlife crime to communities, ecosystems and wildlife, and of the need to scale up global cooperative efforts to combat and prevent them.

To find out more about a proposed UNTOC Protocol, available in several languages, head to endwildlifecrime.org) and be sure to listen to Jane’s Hopecast episode with EWC Chair, John Scanlon.

Image cre:

Top: A pile of tusks awaiting destruction in Kenya. The tusks – from about 8,000 elephants – would be worth more than $105 million on the black market. Conservationists worry that there is a a real threat of elephants becoming extinct in the next 50 years because of poaching bankrolled by the illegal trade in ivory. Photo: Paul Hilton

Middle: Zara Bending leads JGIG’s End Wildlife Crime campaign. She is an award-winning lecturer and internationally published researcher specialising in criminal, environmental and medical law.

Jane Goodall Institute Australia asks Scott Morrison: Stop wildlife trafficking

A global problem demands a global response: 24 chapters of the Jane Goodall Institute are uniting to end wildlife trafficking – by Jane Goodall Institute Australia (JGIA) Board Director, Zara Bending

As part of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI)’s global ForeverWild campaign, chapters around the world are writing to their Heads of State and other influential decision-makers to garner support for a world-first, global agreement on wildlife crime. JGI Global is an International Champion of the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime which supports the specific call to address the illicit trafficking of wildlife in a Fourth Protocol to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC).

Read JGIA’s letter to prime minister Scott Morrison here >>

The proposed Protocol would position wildlife trafficking within the scope of international criminal law and provide a framework for member state obligations. This would include adopting legislation, criminalising the intentional illicit trafficking of specimens of wild fauna and flora (in any whole or part, whether living or deceased), increasing coordination and exchanging intelligence regarding known organized groups and techniques of concealment, sharing forensic samples, strengthening border and authenticity controls, as well as implementing strategies to reduce demand. If adopted, the Protocol would be the fourth to UNTOC – the others concerning human trafficking, migrant smuggling, plus illegal manufacturing and trafficking in firearms.

Thankfully, there is increasing international momentum towards this reform that promises transformative change. In April this year, the European Union communicated its support on page 16 of its Strategy to Tackle Organised Crime 2021-2025. In May, President Carlos Alvarado Quesada of Costa Rica and President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon united in their calls to ‘end the scourge of wildlife trafficking’ through a joint statement advocating for the Fourth Protocol. Their Excellencies were joined in September by President João Lourenço of Angola. More broadly, in July, the UN General Assembly adopted a comprehensive Resolution on Tackling Illicit Wildlife Trafficking by consensus – the fifth in its series of resolutions on the issue following 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. This latest resolution specifically “invites parties to the UNTOC to more effectively use the Convention to address illicit trafficking in wildlife, and to continue discussions on other possible international tools to combat wildlife trafficking.”

Wildlife crime not only challenges the rule of law but undermines human and ecosystem health, national security, economic prosperity, and livelihoods. The World Bank values the impacts of illegal logging, fishing, and wildlife trade at USD 1-2 trillion annually, including loss of financial, natural, social, and political capital. Wildlife trafficking inflicts unspeakable cruelty on millions of animals each year and contributes substantially to the crisis of biodiversity loss, which continues to accelerate the pace of climate change globally.

Wildlife trafficking also increases the risk of zoonotic disease transmission, with the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) estimating some 1.7 million undiscovered viruses thought to exist in wild animals, of which approximately half could spill over to humans. As a network of chapters working together and inspired by the work of Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, we understand that the greatest crises facing our planet are interconnected: no one country can fight wildlife crime alone.

To find out more about the proposed protocol, available in several languages, read on at End Wildlife Crime (endwildlifecrime.org) and be sure to listen to Jane’s Hopecast episode with EWC Chair, John Scanlon on the JGIA blog here.

Statement: Tragic Sacrifice of 6 Rangers Killed in the Congo’s Virunga National Park

The Jane Goodall Institute Australia (JGIA) expresses its heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of six rangers killed (and the seventh injured) while on patrol in Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of Congo) on the morning of Sunday 10 January 2021. The second attack in less than a year, 17 rangers were also tragically killed in April 2020.

Known as ‘the Congolese Jewel,’ Virunga holds a special place in the hearts of many Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) personnel globally as Africa’s first national park, created in 1925. The park was inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1979 for both geological and ecological values, but has been flagged as a World Heritage site in Danger since 1994 due to civil conflict, invasion, and degradation.

Almost 700 armed rangers patrol the park, known for its incredible natural beauty and being the only place on earth that three types of great apes call home: the eastern chimpanzee, mountain gorilla and eastern lowland gorilla. Over 200 species of mammals live in Virunga National Park including elephants, hippos, okapi and 22 types of primates, plus 109 reptile species and 78 amphibian species. The park boasts a remarkable web of life across an area spanning 790,000 hectares, so much so that some of its over 700 species of birds return from Siberia to spend the winter there every year.

Over 200 rangers have lost their lives at Virunga since its establishment, owing to civil unrest and protracted armed conflict in the region. Armed groups continually seek control of the park’s natural wealth. An official statement from park officials attributes responsibility for this month’s lethal ambush to local Mai-Mai militia.

Park rangers are employed by the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN). While not bearing military status, the Rangers are a vital part of maintaining peace and security for the park’s human and non-human communities. Virunga’s mountain gorilla populations have not only survived generations of conflict, but owing to the tireless service of their human protectors and ethical ecotourism operations (jeopardised further by the current pandemic) have grown from 480 individuals in 2010 to over 600 individuals in 2019.

UNESCO has issued a statement where it “…once again condemns these atrocious acts which target women and men dedicated to safeguarding our common heritage” while reiterating its commitment to strengthen the security of personnel responsible for the protection of its natural sites.

We acknowledge the sacrifice of the fallen rangers who have paid a terrible price in the execution of their duties, and trust in the resilience of those remaining to continue in their charge.

Written by JGIA Board Director, Macquarie University Law Associate and Champion for the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime, Zara Bending:

Image: Virunga National Park

References:

Official Statement from Virunga National Park

Official Statement from UNESCO

Jane Goodall Podcast: Hopecast Episode 1 – You Are Reason For Hope!

Hope is a word that often gets used in important speeches, in critical moments, in Star Wars films, and in our darkest hours – but what is hope? There are many explanations for the word, including from the late Old English hopa ‘confidence in the future,’ or from c. 1200 as ‘expectation of something desired;’ also ‘trust, confidence; wishful desire.’ So what does hope mean to Jane Goodall? For a woman who defied the odds to change the world, Jane has lived a life propelled by hope. But it is not enough to expect something to happen, or to desire it. You must have confidence in the future, take action and trust – trust of yourself and in others. That is what the Jane Goodall Hopecast is all about. After a truly unimaginable 2020, that is what we aim to make 2021 about.

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So today, we usher in a new age of hope; one that builds on the vision of Dr. Goodall of hope turned into action. A vision that unifies through storytelling, and connects us through a shared will to create a better future for all. In the long awaited premiere episode of the Jane Goodall Hopecast, Jane takes us on a journey through her past to explain her present recording from her childhood home in Bournemouth, England. This is the first time Jane has been in one place for longer than two weeks in nearly three decades, and the urgency to share her message is greater than ever.

In a fireside style chat, Jane shares intimate stories from her childhood, including how growing up during World War II taught her to take nothing for granted, and why she believes hope is essential to fuel positive action, individually and together, for a better world. While Jane doesn’t shy away from the adversity we face – the Sixth Great Extinction and the Climate Crisis in particular – she shares the importance and power of making space for hope, as it spurs the indomitable human spirit to take action, even in the most grim situations.

Now through the Jane Goodall Hopecast, she will share stories of hope and resilience, encouraging listeners to embrace the power of every individual to make a difference for people, other animals, and the rich tapestry of life with whom we share this precious planetary home.

At the End of the Rainbow: Stay to the end of the episode to hear a rare archival clip of Jane speaking at the ‘Understanding Chimpanzees’ conference in Chicago, Illinois, in 1986, which was the catalyst moment that transformed Jane from a scientist to activist.

Credits

Feel hopeful and inspired to act with the Jane Goodall Hopecast by subscribing on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google podcasts, and anywhere podcasts are found. The Jane Goodall Hopecast is produced by the Jane Goodall Institute. Our production partner is FRQNCY Media. Michelle Khouri is our executive producer, Enna Garkusha is our producer, and Matthew Ernest Filler is our editor and sound designer. Our music is composed and performed by Ruth Mendelsohn with additional violin tracks from Angie Shear. Sound design and music composition for the Conservation chorus is by Matthew Ernest Filler.

Follow us at @janegoodallau on social and learn more at janegoodall.org.au.

STAY TUNED: EPISODE 2 WILL FEATURE A VERY SPECIAL GUEST….
Join us Hopecasters, you are reason for hope.

SUBMIT TO OUR MAILBAG: Now, you also have the chance to submit for the opportunity to be featured in our minisodes! Share what your greatest reasons for hope are, questions for Jane, or stories of being inspired by Jane for a chance to be featured.

BECOME AN OFFICIAL HOPECASTER: And that’s not all – the Jane Goodall Hopecast is a movement fueled by hope and driven by the action of each and every one of you, our Hopecasters. To keep hope alive and help transform it into real change, you have the opportunity to support the Jane Goodall Hopecast today! By becoming an official Hopecaster, you’ll get access to a special Hopecaster gift, early notice of new episodes, special discounts, and other exclusive podcast opportunities. Join us as a Hopecaster, making this podcast and movement possible as we get curious, grow compassion, and take action to build a brighter tomorrow.

Become (or gift) an Official Hopecaster Today
SEE FULL TRANSCRIPT ON THE NEXT PAGE >>

HOPECAST EPISODE 1 FULL TRANSCRIPT

Jane Goodall 0:02
JANESPLASH: I do believe in the indomitable human spirit, I’ve seen examples of incredible survival through traumatic times, like, I treasure a leaf from a tree in Nagasaki that survived the atom bomb that was dropped, that ended the war in Japan, World War Two. And so the more that these things impinge upon me and made me angry, and I think the anger manages to push aside the depression, because I suppose I was born a fighter, but a fighter in a rather different way from getting out there and being aggressive because I don’t think that works. You’ve just got to be calm, and tell stories and try and get people to change from within.

Conservation Choir 0:54
CONSERVATION CHOIR INTRO: There’s so many ways we can save our planet. What is there without hope? I just want people to find empathy. Can nature bounce back? The earth is special because… Jane Goodall made me believe in my own power. She devoted her life to this. Together, we can. Together, we will. What is your greatest reason for hope? I’m Jane Goodall, and this is the Hopecast.

Jane Goodall 1:28
INTRO: Welcome to the first episode of the Hopecast. This podcast has been some time in the making. And I’m so excited for us to have this space to feel a sense of shared hope for our planet. This season, I’m excited to introduce you to people who inspire me with their work in conservation. I’ll be talking to friends, old and new, getting diverse perspectives on what it’s going to take for us to help heal some of the damage that’s been done. But for this first episode, it’s just you and me. I’ll be sharing some of my own story with you while also setting the stage for episodes to come. So why is this called the Hopecast? Because I believe in the power of hope. I believe hope is what spurs us into action. And I do believe in the indomitable human spirit.

When I first was what I called grounded in the UK at the beginning of lockdown, I was frustrated and angry. And I was used to traveling 300 days a year around the world and talking to people, packed auditoriums, you know, up to 10-15,000 people. And suddenly now I’m stuck here. And then I thought, well, there’s not much point being angry and frustrated. So we decided to build a virtual Jane. And that virtual Jane has managed to reach millions more people in many more countries than if I’d been doing my normal tours. And apparently, I’ve done fairly well, because people say that they are moved, they do get the message loud and clear.

I think the success of the podcast or Hopecast is extending the audience to whom I can try and bring a message of hope. Because we’re living through such dark times. I mean, everywhere you look, the climate, the politics, it’s pretty grim. And if people lose hope, then we may as well give up because if you don’t have hope, what’s the point? Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die? But it’s that hope. I think that’s enabled us humans to emerge from the days when surely laboring over making a stone tool, a lot of work, there must have been hope that this stone tool would help you find your meal for the evening. You’re hunting dangerous, big animals, there must have been hope that you would succeed, or you would give up.

So I think hope has been a part of our human evolution. A force that’s pushed us to where we are today. But because there is so much darkness in the world now, it’s more important than ever to try and keep that flame of hope alive, especially for young people. I’m hoping that podcasts along with the other things I’m doing virtually can give an extra little energy and hope to the people listening.

If one wants to reach people, if one wants to change attitudes, you have to reach the heart. You can reach the heart by telling stories, not by arguing with people’s intellect. Especially if you’re talking to the older old guys who I had CEOs of so many corporations and in government, they’re not going to really want to change the way they feel, if somebody like me is talking to them. But if I can reach the heart, you know, the very best way for people to change is from within and not because they’re pressured from outside. That may happen. But it’s not my way.

People often ask me, where did I get my ability to tell stories, and I think it was my Welsh ancestry because my maternal grandfather, and all that branch of the family came from the north of Wales. And the Welsh are known for their storytelling, their music, their sense of fun. So I’m very grateful for that Welsh branch of my family.

And actually, I’m speaking from the house I grew up in. My mother brought me and my sister here at the start of World War Two, I was five years old, and ever since, this has been home. So the books behind me, many of them are books I read as a child. When I was growing up as a child, an awful lot of that childhood was during World War Two. And I’m actually glad I grew up in those war years, because I learned to take nothing for granted. Food was rationed, clothes were rationed. Petrol was rationed. Everything was rationed. And we got, I think it was one square of chocolate a week. We valued every single thing that we had. And we knew that people could die, people were dying, I lost relatives in the war, and friends in the war, but we got through the war. And I think the reason we got through the war was Winston Churchill. And he made mistakes, but it was his speeches, that gave us hope. And, you know, he was basically saying, what I’m always saying, we can do it, if we get together, we can do it, we mustn’t give in. We must stand up strong, we must believe that we can do it. And so we got through the war.

And then, you know, there’ve been other horrors like the Cold War, the threat of nuclear power, which tragically has come back, I never thought it could. And we’ve been through the terrible wars in different parts of the world. And, you know, I’ve seen so much change. I’ve seen advances in technology, from being with no television, to having some of this incredible new technology that’s enabling me to reach out to people around the world, despite sitting in my old home, my current home, sitting here and reaching people with a message. And actually, I’m able to reach far more people, millions more people, sitting here with a message of hope. So helping people realize that every day they live, they make some impact on the planet. And they can choose what sort of impact that they make. Realizing that we need to alleviate poverty, because if you’re really poor, you’re going to cut down the last tree, you’re going to fish the last fish, because you’ve got to survive. And we do have to bring into the political agenda, the problem of the fact that human populations and their livestock are growing. So if we carry on with business as usual, then what’s going to happen? That’s one silver lining of this awful pandemic, that people are beginning to realize, we need a different relationship with the natural world. The new, more sustainable way of living in harmony with nature instead of attacking nature, as we have been doing for so long.

One of the problems that we face today is that we are bombarded every day by terrible news. If we open a newspaper, if we listen to the radio, grim, grim news. It’s political, it’s social, and it’s environmental. Very easily, people are giving up hope, because they just feel that they’re up against such powerful forces. And I almost would say forces of evil. How do we counteract that? I think the way we can counteract it is during my long life, my 86 years on this planet, I have met the most extraordinary people.

And yes, we’re in the middle of the sixth great extinction, but I’ve actually met the people and the animals who are on the brink of extinction who have been given another chance. I’ve met the botanists, who are passionate about keeping the biodiversity of our plant life alive. I’ve met the people studying insects to realize the importance of keeping the insect biodiversity alive because we depend on it. We depend on the plants and the insects. And so sharing the good news stories, and I’m always saying every time I talk to the press, I say you have to share the bad news but please give more time for the positive to help people understand what they can do, what they’re capable of. What we all are capable of if we care enough. Sharing these stories of people and nature, should fill people with hope because we can do it if we will. We can regenerate nature, in a place where we’ve destroyed it. We can rescue an animal species, if we put enough effort and love and money behind it. We can regenerate forests, we can regenerate woodlands, we can rewild.

In Britain, the beavers are coming back, and they are changing the land so that the flooding that was so terrible and costing so much money, and causing people to lose their houses, now, because the beavers have put the land back to how it used to be, the flooding is completely reduced. We have now destroyed about one half, 50%, of all the forests that once covered the globe. And as we destroy them, all this carbon is released back into the atmosphere. And the forests, particularly the rain forests, are the great reserves for biodiversity, different animal species, plant species. It’s so rich in the rain forests. It’s also where the chimpanzees live. Well, my career began with learning about chimpanzees. And so obviously, we start off, you can’t protect chimpanzees unless you protect their habitat, which happens to be the forest. And fortunately, if you protect the forest, then you’re protecting all the other animals and plants that make up this web of life, this amazing tapestry of life that we find in the rain forest. And when we plant trees in a forest, many things happen. The trees clean the air, they filter out carbon particles. Make it easier to breathe. They encourage nature’s come back, people can hear birdsong again.

And it turns out that people actually need green areas. And when you green an area of high crime, it’s been shown there was a big study done in Chicago, crime levels drop compared to areas that weren’t greened. And the tragedy is that if you look in most cities today, you’ll find the affluent communities have lots of trees. But the deprived areas in America, it’s particularly where people of color live, they don’t have many trees. But once you put the trees there, then mental and physical health improves. The cost of health care drops. Fighting some of the problems that we have created on this planet, like climate change, for example, or discrimination, or prejudice is something every single one of us can do something about.

I think that so many people haven’t had the right education. I think that environmental education and information about who animals really are, should be part of every school curriculum. And I think that it’s the young people now who give me the most hope, because when they understand the problems, when they are listened to, when they’re empowered to take action, that’s why our Roots and Shoots program is spreading so fast. It’s in more than 65 countries now and it’s young people of all ages. And it’s my greatest resource of hope because they are changing the world. Every day. I would like to work to save every animal species and I can’t. The Jane Goodall Institute you know, we have to concentrate on great apes and forests. Through the Roots and Shoots groups, I’ve got groups that care about turtles, groups that care about octopuses, you name an animal species and I bet you somewhere there is a group passionate about saving them. Spreading awareness about them. Raising money for the cause. And this is really inspiring.

I definitely hope that out of this Hopecast, people will realize that they have a role to play. That every individual makes a difference every single day. And we get to choose what sort of difference we make. I often talk about a reason for hope, being the indomitable human spirit, the people who tackle what seems impossible and wouldn’t give up. And that every single one of us has that indomitable spirit. But people don’t always realize it. They don’t let it grow. They don’t let it out. They’re nervous. They’re afraid. They feel helpless and hopeless. So it’s terribly important, and I hope that people listening to these podcasts will realize what they as individuals can do. And though it may not see much, if you have the cumulative effect of millions, maybe billions of people making ethical choices every day, in what they buy and how is it made? Did it harm the environment? Was it cruel to animals? Is it cheap because of child slave labor or sweatshops or inequitable wages? And if the answer is yes, don’t buy it. Because consumer pressure does make a difference. There are many companies that are changing because of consumer pressure. That’s what’s important that people feel empowered, and that their lives do matter. And they can make a difference.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: 1986. I helped to put together a conference to bring together scientists who by then, were studying chimpanzees and six other parts of Africa. We had a session on conservation, and it was shocking. Forests were being destroyed. The human population in Africa was moving further and further into chimpanzee habitat. And there was still the live animal trade, shooting mothers to steal their babies.

I think the animal rights issue is something I’ve been dodging for quite a long time. It’s because it is a hot tricky issue. And because I’m not the sort of person who likes taking the limelight, I really like sitting in the forest in Gombe and getting on and observing the chimps. But it’s become apparent that I have to use this power, if you like, of bending the air very many people to help the creatures who have put me in a position to do just that.

I went to that conference as a scientist, planning to carry on with that wonderful life, and I left as an activist.

CREDITS: Feel hopeful and inspired to act with the Jane Goodall Hopecast by subscribing on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google podcasts, and anywhere podcasts are found. I’m your host, Jane Goodall. The Jane Goodall Hopecast is produced by the Jane Goodall Institute. Our production partner is FRQNCY Media. Michelle Khouri is our executive producer, Enna Garkusha is our producer, and Matthew Ernest Filler is our editor and sound designer. Our music is composed and performed by Ruth Mendelsohn with additional violin tracks from Angie Shear. Sound design and music composition for the Conservation chorus is by Matthew Ernest Filler.

How girls’ education benefits our entire planet

Inspired by her own experience witnessing the Jane Goodall Institute’s work in Uganda, our Africa Programs Manager, Natasha Coutts, shares proven reasons why female education has positive reverberations for our entire planet.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

-Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

 

Significant gains in closing the gender gap in education have been made globally over the past 30 years, however regional disparities between the number of years of school completed by boys and girls still persist. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the lower secondary school completion rate for boys is 42 percent compared to 36 percent for girls. A similar difference exists for upper secondary school completion rates, with 29 percent for boys and just 22 percent for girls. Here are eight reasons why bridging the educational gender divide in Sub-Saharan Africa can help save the world

Forests

Africa has lost 3.94 million hectares of forest per year since 1990, the highest rate globally.1 These forests, particularly the primary tropical rainforests around the equator, are extremely rich in biodiversity. Their loss and degradation imperils the survival of innumerable plant and animal species, many endemic to these locations. For example, habitat destruction and degradation is a leading threat to endangered chimpanzees.2

Multiple studies have shown traditional fuel consumption to be the greatest driver of deforestation in the region, due to large numbers of poor rural populations living in and around forested areas being reliant on wood fuel and charcoal for cooking.3-5  In addition to energy, many people across rural Sub-Saharan Africa depend on forests for between 30 – 45%  of their total household income.6-9 However, forest dependency tends to decline with more years of education, as it presents alternative livelihood opportunities that are often more profitable than forest extraction activities.10-14

Find out more about our campaign Educate Girls, Change The World >>

Resilience

Education helps buffer women, their families and the countries that they live in from financial and environmental shocks.15 At the family level, women with more education can better handle economic fluctuations that might impact their ability to provide food and health care to their children. At the national level, female education provides the best return on investment for enhancing a country’s ability to mitigate the impact of natural disasters.16

Predictions suggest Africa will face a number of climate and environment related challenges –  such as decreased food security, water availability and biodiversity loss – over the coming decades. Critical to ensuring vulnerable populations are equipped to deal with these challenges is the education of girls: there is massive untapped potential for them to emerge as leaders in this space. For example, in 2015 women represented only 30% of forestry graduates from the level of technical diploma through to doctoral degrees.17

Closing the gender gap in secondary education will give girls the foundations they need to pursue further education and realise their full potential to gain leadership positions within academia, civic associations, business, and politics.18

Climate

Sub-Saharan African countries are among the world’s most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. By decreasing fertility rates and population growth, educating girls can substantially contribute to reducing global carbon emissions.19

Project Drawdown – the world’s leading resource for climate solutions – ranked educating girls the sixth most effective strategy for curbing climate change. Estimations suggest over 51 gigatons of CO2 emissions could be saved if free universal secondary education is implemented globally by 2030.20

How do reusable sanitary towels reduce deforestation? Learn more >>

Population growth

High population growth can be a challenge to increasing standards of living in Income Level 1 & 2 countries. More people means budgets for public services and available resources are spread more thinly. Increasing population size is also strongly associated with greater deforestation.21,22

If all countries prioritised rapid expansion of free universal secondary schooling, the global population will likely be 843 million people fewer in 2050 compared to projections based on current enrollment rates.23, 24 In Sub-Saharan Africa, where most countries are currently at Income Levels 1 & 2 and large gaps in educational attainment between boys and girls still exist, women with secondary education average 3.9 births while those with no education average 6.8 births.25, 26

Future earnings

There is a strong relationship between the number of years of schooling a girl undertakes and her future income. Sub-Saharan African women with primary education are likely to earn between 18 – 30% more than those with no education. The difference increases to between 130 – 165% for secondary education, and a staggering 448 – 567% for tertiary education.27

Education also helps reduce gender income inequality. Ghanian women with secondary education earn 16 percent less than secondary educated men, whereas the gap increases to 57 percent for women and men with no education.28  Because higher incomes help alleviate poverty, which in turn can lower dependence on forests29, educating girls over time contributes to the preservation of natural ecosystems.

Health

Education leads to better health outcomes for women and their children. During the peak of the HIV crisis in the 1990s the likelihood of testing positive to the virus was three times less for adolescent rural Ugandans with secondary education than those with no education.30

Across nine Sub-Saharan African countries, the chance of a child contracting malaria – a leading cause of death in the region – is reduced by approximately 27 percent if their mothers have completed at least six years of primary education.31  Child health and nutritional status is most strongly associated with a mothers’ education in rural Uganda.32

Economies

Educated women make economies stronger, both locally and nationally. Increasing the number of years of education improves women’s prospects for participating in the formal labour market.33 Estimated labour market returns on education are higher for women at 11.7 percent compared to 9.6 percent for men.34

Sub-Saharan African women are responsible for 75 percent of food produced in the region, yet their average number of years of education is far less than that of men.

When women’s educational attainment levels increase, so too does their productivity. Female farmers with more years of education in Kenya were shown to increase yields by up to 22 percent.35

Child marriage

Cultural norms and poverty force many girls to marry before the age of 18. In most cases, marriage and schooling are mutually exclusive.36 The chance of marriage is reduced by 7.5 percent for every additional year of secondary school completed by girls in 13 African countries.

In a survey of married Ugandan women, 39 percent who married in adulthood enrolled in secondary school, compared to 13 percent who married as a child.37 Programs that focus on increasing educational attainment for girls are one of the most effective strategies for reducing child marriage.38

Learn how JGI helps girls stay in school to protect chimps >>

 

References

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  • Plumptre, A., Hart, J.A., Hicks, T.C., Nixon, S., Piel, A.K. & Pintea, L. 2016. Pan troglodytes ssp. schweinfurthii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T15937A102329417.
  • Bawa, K. S. and Dayanandan, S. (1997). Socioeconomic factors and tropical deforestation. Nature, 386, 562 – 563.
  • Hosonuma, N., Herold, M., De Sy,V., De Fries, R. S., Brockhaus, M., Verchot, L., Angelsen, A., and Romijn, E. (2012). An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation drivers in developing countries. Environmental Research Letters, 7, 044009.
  • Mulenga, B. P., Tembo, S. T., and Richardson, R. B. (2019). Electricity access and charcoal consumption among urban households in Zambia. Development Southern Africa, 36 (5), 585 – 599. 
  • Garekae, H., Thakadu, O. T., and Lepetu, J. (2017). Socio-economic factors influencing household forest dependency in Chobe enclave, Botswana. Ecological Processes, 6 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-017-0107-3.
  • Mamo, G., Sjaastad, E., Vedeld, P. (2007). Economic dependence on forest resources: a case from Dendi District, Ethiopia. Forest Policy Economics, 9 (8), 916 – 927.
  • Appiah, M., Blay, D., Damnyag, L., Dwomoh, F. K., Pappinen, A., and Luukkanen, O. (2009). Dependence on forest resources and tropical deforestation in Ghana. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 11, 471 – 487.
  • Kalaba, F. K, Quinn, C.H., Dougill, A.J. (2013). Contribution of forest provisioning ecosystem services to rural livelihoods in the Miombo woodlands of Zambia. Population and Environment, 35 (2), 159 – 182.
  • Adhikari, B., Di Falco, S., and Lovett, J. C. (2004). Household characteristics and forest dependency: evidence from common property forest management in Nepal. Ecological Economics, 48, 245 – 257.
  • Gunatilake, H. (1998). The role of rural development in protecting tropical rainforests: evidence from Sri Lanka. Journal of Environmental Management, 53, 273 – 292.
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  • Streissnig, E., Lutz, W., and Patt, A. (2013). Effects of Educational Attainment on Climate Risk Vulnerability. Ecology and Society, 18 (1), 16. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-05252-180116.
  • FAO. (2020). Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020: Main report. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca9825en.
  • O’Neil, T., Plank, G., and Domingo, P. (2015). Support to Women and Girls’ Leadership: A Rapid Review of the Evidence. Overseas Development Institute, London.
  • O’Neill, B.C., Dalton, M., Fuchs, R., Jiang, L., Pachauri, S., and Zigova, K. (2010). Global demographic trends and future carbon emissions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107 (41), 17521-17526. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1004581107.
  • UNESCO. (2020). Global Education Monitoring Report 2020: Inclusion and education: All means all. UNESCO, Paris.
  • Busch, J., and Ferretti-Gallon, K. (2017). What Drives Deforestation and What Stops It? A Meta-Analysis. Review of environmental economics and policy, 11(1) 3-23.
  • Uusivuori, J., Lehto, E. and Palo, M. (2002). Population, income and ecological conditions as determinants of forest area variation in the tropics. Global Environmental Change, 12, 313-323.
  • UNESCO. (2014). Teaching and Learning: Achieving Quality for All – EFA Global Monitoring Report 2013/4. UNESCO, Paris.
  • Lutz, W., and Samir., K. C.  (2011). Global Human Capital: Integrating Education and Population. Science, 333 (6042), 587–92.
  • UNPD. (2011). World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision. UNPD, New York.
  • 26.ICF International. STATcompiler: Building Tables with DHS Data. (2012) ICF International, Calverton. Available at www.statcompiler.com.
  • Wodon, Q., C., Nguyen, M. H., and Onagoruwa, A. (2018). Educating Girls and Ending Child Marriage: A Priority for Africa. The Cost of Not Educating Girls Notes Series. The World Bank, Washington, DC.
  • Kolev, A., and Sirven, N. (2010). Gender Disparities in Africa’s Labor Market: A Cross-Country Comparison Using Standardized Survey Data. In Gender Disparities in Africa’s Labor Market. Editors Arbache, J. S., Kolev, A., and Filipiak, E. World Bank, Washington.
  • FAO and UNEP. (2020). The State of the World’s Forests 2020 – Forests, biodiversity and people. FAO and UNEP, Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8642en.
  • De Walque, D. (2004). How Does Educational Attainment Affect the Risk of Being Infected by HIV/AIDS? Evidence from a General Population Cohort in Rural Uganda. World Bank Development Research Group Working Paper. World Bank, Washington.
  • Siri, J. G. (2014). Independent Associations of Maternal Education and Household Wealth with Malaria Risk in Children. Ecology and Society, 19 (1), 33.
  • Wamani, H., Tylleskär, T., Astrøm, A. N., Tumwine, J. K., and Peterson, S. (2004). Mothers’ Education but Not Fathers’ Education, Household Assets or Land Ownership is the Best Predictor of Child Health Inequalities in Rural Uganda. International Journal for Equity in Health, 3 (1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-9276-3-9
  • Patrinos, H., and Montenegro, C. E. (2014). Comparable Estimates of Returns to Schooling Around the World. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 7020. World Bank, Washington.
  • Sperling, G. B., Winthrop, R. and Kwauk, C. (2016). What Works in Girls’ Education: Evidence for the World’s Best Economy. Brookings Institution Press, Washington, DC, USA.
  • Quisumbing, A. (1996). Male – Female Differences in Agricultural Productivity: Methodological Issues and Empirical Evidence. World Development, 24 (10), 1579 – 1595.
  • Wodon, Q., Nguyen, M. C., and Tsimpo, C. (2016). Child Marriage, Education, and Agency in Uganda. Feminist Economics, 22 (1), 54 – 79. doi:10.1080/13545701.2015.1102020.
  • Wodon, Q., Montenegro, C., Nguyen, H., and Onagoruwa, A. (2018). Educating Girls and Ending Child Marriage: A Priority for Africa. The Cost of Not Educating Girls Notes Series. The World Bank, Washington.
  • Botea, I., Chakravarty, S., Haddock, S., and Wodon, Q. (2017). Interventions Improving Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes and Delaying Child Marriage and Childbearing for Adolescent Girls. Ending Child Marriage Notes Series. The World Bank, Washington.