The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) with a four-year grant that is worth more than $5.5 million. The funding will allow for the expansion of conservation programs in Tanzania. JGI is working with the Tanzanian District Councils of Kogama and Mpanada, The Nature Conservancy, and the Frankfurt Zoological Society to help protect chimpanzees and other endangered animals in Tanzania.

 

The JGI and partners have put more than $7 million to work in the Tanzanian countryside since 2003. Their conservation efforts have not focused solely on chimpanzees and endangered species. Their conservation programs have also led to local villagers protecting more than 87,000 hectares of forest, an increase in income for coffee farmers in the area, dozens of new environmental education clubs with more than 5,000 school children participants, and an increasing awareness and adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.

 

“The latest grant awarded by USAID will enable JGI and its partners to address the root causes driving the loss of biodiversity in the region.  In the next four years, JGI’s program will focus on improving forest management; creating income-generating opportunities that are compatible with conservation objectives; promoting sustainable agricultural practices; expanding HIV/AIDS awareness and education; and reducing fire incidences.  In addition, JGI’s program will involve educating local stakeholders about climate change and helping them to develop mitigation strategies.” Source: JGI

 

For more information about Jane Goodall and her environmental conservation efforts, watch The History of the Jane Goodall Institute.