Art for Gorillas

Category: Art of Conservation (AoC), Ministry of Agriculture-Rwanda | Date: Mar 28 2009 | By: Julie

In a country where more than 90% of the population depends on agricultural pursuits, the Art of Conservation project moves from Unit 1: Staying Healthy to Unit 2: Introduction to Agronomy in order to educate the kids about land use and the pressures this densely populated country has on protected areas.

AoC’s Vincent RUKUNDO, a final year student at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry (ISAE - Busogo), jumps to it with the basics of agronomy.

Vincent asks our young and bright-eyed students:
What is agronomy?
What is the relationship between agronomy and conservation?
What is subsistence farming?
What is soil and how is it formed?
And so on.

Vincent gives a moisture content reading demonstration. I brought back a few of these not so scientific instruments from the US. Kids are excited to check it out.

It may be a bit difficult for our students living in the Northern Province of Rwanda to grasp the population density - one of the highest in Africa. Vincent explains better by suggesting that an average of 850 people in Rwanda live in one square mile. The average density in the US is 80 people per square mile.

Since the population density is so great, the land near Volcanoes National Park has in the past already been taken for agricultural uses - especially during the mayhem of the genocide and civil wars. Now, there is talk of actually reclaiming some of that lost land and returning it to the protected area of the park.

Kids use soil testing instruments for reading the moisture content and soil pH.

Rwanda is moving to increase agricultural production and hopefully on the foundations of environmental, economic and social sustainability.

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Category: Art of Conservation (AoC), Ministry of Agriculture-Rwanda | Date: Oct 27 2008 | By: Julie

Vince (pictured above at left) joins Valerie and Eric - building a strong and more diversified Art of Conservation team!

Please join me in welcoming a new member to our team - Vincent de Paul RUKUNDO. Vince is in his final year of university level studies at the Higher Institute of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, (ISAE BUSOGO). He brings valuable knowledge and experience in rural development and agribusiness - his special interests are in modern agricultural techniques, soil protection, and water management.

Click here for the website of Higher Institute of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.

In 2004, Vince performed a role as an agronomist technician at a cooperative in developmental agriculture with focus on farming and forestry. The cooperative is known as COODAF, Cooperative de Developpement Agricole, Elevage et Forestier.

After completing this work experience, Vince performed duties as an agricultural monitor in a project aimed at mobilizing rural people in finding the value of agricultural activities, (PARVA, Programme d’Animation Rurale pour la Valorisation des Activites Agricoles).

Please click here if you would like more information on Rwanda’s Ministry of Agriculture, MINAGRI.

We continue adding to our existing conservation learning curricula and with Vince’s input, we are set to include lots more practical knowledge of every day living as well as introducing progressive techniques and ideas. Very exciting!

Tags: Art of Conservation (AoC)

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