Art for Gorillas

Category: Art of Conservation (AoC), Rwanda's Park & Tourism | Date: May 05 2009 | By: Julie

As part of AoC’s efforts to teach the children living around Parc National des Volcans about conservation, each of our 150 students planted a seedling in groves around their schools. The seedlings aren’t meant to be food for wild animals that live in the park. Instead, they’ll be used primarily for soil conservation. Soil erosion is a big problem in hilly Rwanda, where nearly every available slope has been cultivated for agriculture. Once the students’ trees mature - which won’t take long in this wet, equatorial climate - their roots will act to hold the soil in place. They’ll also provide habitat for birds and insects like bees, which provide honey the communities can harvest to feed their families.

Below is a video made during our tree planting week set to the tune of “Sow A Little,” by New York-based musicians KaiserCartel. This is a commissioned piece made for our project. Enjoy!

Photograph by Molly Feltner 2009.

The beginning of a little forest. Photograph by Molly Feltner 2009.

Celebrating the hard work. Photograph by Molly Feltner 2009.

Tags: children, conservation, gorillas, local community, planting trees