The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund – This campus has great roots dating back to Dian Fossey’s two tents in the forest in 1967, with its main purpose being to conserve wild gorillas, occupying a twelve-acre space.
The Ellen DeGeneres Campus was named one of Africa’s most anticipated architectural projects and has been featured on CBS’s “60 Minutes” and Architectural Digest.
It has been built with local raw materials with a prime aim adopted over fifty-five years ago, focusing on conserving and preserving the wild gorilla population as well as supporting the people who share the forest home with the gorillas.
The Ellen Campus has made a progressive change from just two tents and one person to rented space with about 400 staff members.
It has lived on a twenty-year dream of creating a facility with the prime objective of accelerating science and conservation work, winning a lead gift from the global icon Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, in February 2022. Discover more about Gorilla Guardians Village, another key cultural site near Volcanoes National Park
Therefore, the campus opened in February 2022 adjacent to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, serving as a hub for scientific research and discoveries in the region.
It also supports the booming eco-tourism sector in Rwanda. This initiative is managed by the Rwandan government, which has played a vital role in tourism, leading to increased conservation efforts, improving the socio-economic lives of local and international associates, and boosting Rwanda’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Services Provided at the Ellen DeGeneres Campus, Rwanda
The Ellen Campus offers an incredible opportunity for self-guided tours, break hours at the Gorilla Café, browsing the gift shop, bird watching on the trail system, and especially learning about the holistic approach to gorilla conservation.
Aim of the Ellen DeGeneres Campus, Rwanda
The primary aim of this project is to create a space to engage and inspire many stakeholders in conservation, including students, scientists, tourists, conservation partners, and community members, in a collective goal of saving the gorillas and the planet at large.
Conclusively, the Ellen DeGeneres Campus in Rwanda is a major research and environmental conservation center.
