Bonobo Central

Special Yoga Class for Bonobos this Saturday!

2010-12-06T11:38:00.000-05:00

ABC Program “The Swingers” Features Kokolopori

2010-09-21T10:15:00.000-04:00

ABC News Reporter Eric Campbell ventures to the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve to visit the bonobos and local community. Campbell conducts exclusive interviews with Sally Coxe, BCI President, and Albert Lokasola, President of BCI's local partner NGO Vie Sauvage, at the field site.

Kokolopori is one of the few sites where wild bonobos are habituated to human presence and can be viewed on a daily basis. Home to more than 1,000 bonobos, it is the anchor site for BCI's Bonobo Peace Forest, a proposed constellation of locally managed nature reserves supported by sustainable community development.

Watch "The Swingers" now!

Sponsors for the Paint for Bonobos Fundraiser on August 6th!

2010-07-27T13:08:00.000-04:00

Paint for Bonobos!

2010-07-20T15:54:00.007-04:00

Paint Your Own Pottery For Bonobos! Friday, August 6, 2010 from 6pm to 10pm

Let’s fire up the fun! Here’s how it works: Color Me Mine is a paint-your-own pottery studio where you choose an unfinished piece of pottery, paint it, leave it for firing and glazing, and return a week later to pick it up. Other event highlights: raffle, video presentation on apes painting, special appearance by an ape character, trivia and prizes.

Don’t miss out on this awesome opportunity to support bonobos and make a one-of-a-kind keepsake! Proceeds from the event benefit the Bonobo Conservation Initiative's mission to protect the bonobo, an endangered great ape, and its rainforest habitat in the Congo. To learn more, visit www.bonobo.org

Location:

Color Me Mine

2439 18th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20009

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it!

2010-07-20T13:25:00.002-04:00

Check out our new brochure, filled with information about the Bonobo Conservation Initiative's work in cooperative conservation and community development in the Congo!

Download our free brochure now!

Help Jared Harrison Help Bonobos!

2010-07-06T13:35:00.000-04:00

Help Jared Harrison, a 12-year-old from the Cayman Islands, help bonobos! Jared researched bonobos for a school project and now wants to share his new found interest in the species with Cayman Islanders and the world.

“I was touched by how peaceful and kind they are,” he said. “Other primates, including us, have wars, kill each other, and have a hard time sharing. Bonobos are so different. When they get upset about something, they just hug it out. We can actually learn from them. They cooperate and take care of each other so well. They’re extraordinary.”

Jared challenged Cayman Islanders to donate to BCI in an effort to save these rare and peaceful primates. You can help Jared in his efforts! Click here to donate now

If you are interested in forming a kid’s conservation club, please contact Jared at jaredconservation@gmail.com and he will provide more information.

To learn more about Jared, you can read the following online news articles:

Cayman News Service

Cayman Net News

NPR Show on Bonobos!

2010-06-02T09:55:00.007-04:00

Tune into the Diane Rehm Show:“Bonobos on the Brink of Extinction”

Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI) president Sally Jewell Coxe joins Vanessa Woods, author of the new book Bonobo Handshake, and Richard Carroll of the World Wildlife Fund for an enlightening discussion about bonobos. The show examines lessons about bonobos and efforts to save them, revealing little known facts and the urgency of protecting these endangered great apes and their habitat in the Congo rainforest.

Listen to the archived recording here!

Special thanks to Diane Rehm and WAMU for raising awareness about bonobos on their Environmental Outlook series.

Vote for James Brooks, Bonobo Fan!

2010-05-19T13:19:00.000-04:00

Vote for James Brooks, a bonobo fan and friend of BCI, for the 2010 Youth in Action ME to WE Award. He is one of three finalists in his category.

James' lifelong passion for monkeys and apes led him to establish apeaware.org, a website dedicated to saving apes from extinction. After learning about the plight in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, James founded 1000Classrooms and challenged his peers to help raise funds for poultry collectives, so the widows of slain park rangers could sell eggs to earn an income. Through his efforts, James has raised enough money to buy 25,000 eggs and has engaged thousands on the issue of ape preservation.

Vote Now!

2010-04-27T12:30:00.002-04:00

Bowling for Bonobos!

2010-03-23T16:53:00.013-04:00

On March 11th, bonobo fans gathered at Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge in Washington, DC to support the Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI). Volunteers and BCI staff greeted customers at the entrance with information about the organization. There was also a special appearance by an ape character! 20% of all the proceeds from what customers spent on bowling, food and drinks went directly towards BCI’s efforts to save the bonobo and its rainforest habitat.

Special thanks to Lucky Strike Lanes and everyone who came out to bowl for bonobos! Check out pics from the event here.

If you were unable to attend the bowling event, we welcome you to join us this Saturday, March 27th at Patagonia in Georgetown (1048 Wisconsin Ave., NW). We will have materials, slide shows and videos, and fun kid activities, including bonobo masks! Hope to see you there, go bonobo!

BCI Urges Congress to Pass the Great Ape Conservation Reauthorization Act

2010-03-22T16:54:00.014-04:00

On January 27, 2010, BCI president and co-founder, Sally Jewell Coxe, testified before the House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife in support of the Great Ape Conservation Reauthorization Amendments Act of 2010 (HR 4416). See a video of the hearing here!

Recognizing the many threats that great apes face, including habitat loss, illegal poaching, and consumption in the bushmeat trade, Congress passed the Great Ape Conservation Act (GACA) to allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to provide financial assistance for projects that support conservation and research of great apes. Since then, the FWS Great Ape Conservation Fund (GACF) has funded more than 250 projects in more than 30 countries across Africa and Asia

Since its historical passage in 2000, GACA has been instrumental to the survival of the bonobo and BCI’s success. BCI’s first grant from GACF was awarded in 2002, just as the Congo War was beginning to wind down in the bonobo habitat. The grant funded the first surveys and “information exchange” with local people at Kokolopori and Lac Tumba, and provided the foundation for ongoing efforts and long-term partnerships.

Thanks to direct support from GACF, BCI and its Congolese partners have discovered or confirmed the existence of bonobos in eleven strategic regions. This led to local agreements to protect bonobos in all areas surveyed and the establishment of two legally protected nature reserves: the Sankuru Nature Reserve and the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve. Together, these reserves span 13,650 square miles—an area greater than the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island combined!

While the major threats to bonobos remain in force and there are still tremendous challenges to overcome, substantial progress has been made over the past decade to mitigate these threats in key areas of the bonobo habitat. Continued and increased support from the U.S. government through the Great Ape Conservation Fund is critically important.

Urge your Congress-member to vote in favor of the Great Ape Conservation Reauthorization Amendments Act of 2010 (HR 4416). Visit www.congress.org and click "Get Involved" to learn how to contact your congressman.

Please act now-the great apes need our support!

BCI Receives Honors for Community-based Carbon Offset Project

2010-02-15T11:24:00.006-05:00

In mid-December, BCI was one of seven honorees at the Support REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) gala in Copenhagen, Denmark. The event, sponsored by the Coalition of Rainforest Nations, lauded BCI's success in protecting a huge rainforest area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that harbors the endangered bonobo, a great ape most closely related to humans.

Other notable honorees unified in REDD's mission included Nobel Laureate, Wangari Maathi, renowned primatologist, Jane Goodall, and president of Conservation International, Russ Mittermeirer.

Upon receiving honors in Copenhagen, BCI president and co-founder Sally Jewell Coxe commented, “We are deeply honored by this acknowledgment of our ten years of work in the DRC, not only to save the bonobo, but to provide a new holistic paradigm for conservation and sustainable development. Our approach delivers globally significant ecosystems services, protects valuable biodiversity, and improves the quality of life of the indigenous people.”

Our recent press release highlights the significance of REDD and its role in financing carbon offsets. REDD allows the Congolese to protect their rainforest by providing an alternative to exploitation that delivers greater benefits on every level. Our project in the bonobo habitat mitigates global climate change by sequestering vast amounts of carbon in an area where the people are already committed to saving the forest.

Saving Bonobos and Lives-Reports From The Field!

2010-01-06T11:47:00.007-05:00

BCI has learned through on-the-ground results that our community conservation approach is saving bonobos AND improving lives!

Along with our partners, we are saving lives at the health clinic located within the newly established Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve. Our clinic staff are making a difference for the Kokolopori community. In fact, they just performed the 150th surgery in the past 18 months. Our resident physician, Dr. Pondolo Saidi says, "We are saving lives...we've treated patients for appendixes, caesarian sections, hernias, ovarian cysts, tumors, and prostates."

To learn more, check out eyewitness accounts emailed to us on our new satellite phone from our Director of BCI Australia, Martin Bendeler! He just returned from a field site visit to Kokolopori.

BCI Receives Nkoyi Award for Outstanding Achievements!

2010-01-06T11:39:00.002-05:00

BCI was chosen by the Congolese community of the Washington, DC Metropolitan area to receive the Honorary 2009 Nkoyi Merit Award of Goodwill for its "outstanding achievements in community development and nature conservation." The Nkoyi award is normally given to Congolese individuals who have demonstrated achievement in their respective field of work. BCI was selected as an exception to that rule.

The awards ceremony took place on Independence Day in honor of the 49th anniversary of DRC's independence from Belgium. The Congo's Ambassador to the USA, Dr. Faida Mitifu, gave the keynote address to an assembly of approximately 300 Congolese-Americans and expatriates living in the Washington area. BCI Executive Director, Michael Hurley proudly accepted the award.

Selected for excellence by Catalogue for Philanthropy

2009-11-16T14:22:00.007-05:00

BCI was honored by the Catalogue for Philanthropy for excellence, innovation and cost-effectiveness. Check out our page on the Catalogue's new website at http://www.catalogueforphilanthropy-dc.org/cfpdc/nonprofit-detail.php?id=5905.

Bonobo Conservation Initiative | Catalogue for Philanthropy - Greater Washington

BCI Flag on the North Pole!

2009-08-05T17:11:00.003-04:00

Doug Stoup, an explorer who ventures to the remote regions of the globe, recently took our flag (see photo) to the North Pole. Doug is an advocate for mitigating global warming and climate change. He experienced firsthand that global warming has a drastic unsustainable deteriorating effect on the poles and his planting the flag on the North Pole highlights the fact that protecting the Congo rainforest can reduce climate change and save the planet.

Doug began his extreme adventures back in 1999 when he skiied the highest peak in Antarctica. He was mesmerized by his surroundings of blowing snow over an uninhabitable landscape. His first adventure ignited a passion that he has continued to pursue for 10 years.

Doug is doing his part to educate the public though school programs about the effects of global warming and climate change. He encourages improving the health of our world and its diverse ecosystems, from the home of the polar bear in the Arctic to the bonobos’ tropical forest habitat in the Congo, which are connected through their dependence on the natural environment. Beginning at the grassroots level, he encourages individuals to contact their local government representatives and express their concern for global warming. He also encourages cutting down on the use of personal vehicles and to take advantage of public transportation and carpooling. Even little acts such as buying a reusable water bottle could cut down on waste that contributes to the deterioration of our planet’s health.

BCI would like to thank Doug for his involvement with BCI and commitment to making the world a better place.

Crista Johnson
Development Intern

BBQ for Bonobos, next Sunday, Aug. 9th!

2009-07-23T11:36:00.005-04:00

Join the Bonobo Conservation Initiative for food and fun in Washington’s beautiful Rock Creek Park on Sunday, August 9th from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The cost is $10 per person and includes food & beverage (vegetarian option available); all proceeds benefit BCI’s mission to protect the bonobo, an endangered great ape, and its rainforest habitat. We are also asking guests to bring a dessert to donate for our bake sale.

Activities at the event will include face painting, balloon animals, masks, puzzles, outdoor games, Congolese music, special appearance by an ape character, and guest speakers from BCI USA and Australia and arctic explorer who took our flag to the North Pole!

Location:
Just follow signs and balloons to Rock Creek Park Picnic Area #2 on Beach Rd. past the Peirce Mill waterfall. See flyer for map. Closest Metro stop is Van Ness. Parking is also available.

Hope to see you there! Please share with friends, family, and colleagues.

Join the Kokolopori-Falls Church Sister City Partnership for Wine and Cheese on July 14th!

2009-06-21T23:43:00.011-04:00

The Falls Church, Virginia, and Kokolopori, DRC, Sister City partnership is an innovative community-to-community program, the first of its kind between the US and the DRC. Kokolopori is the site of the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve. Citizens of Falls Church have provided invaluable support for a micro-credit fund, health clinic, aid for Kokolopori schools, and other important livelihood programs.

You can join the partnership and meet Albert Lokosola, president of the Kokolopori-based partner organization, visiting from the DRC, on July 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Red, White & Bleu on 127 S. Washington St. For $25, you can sample South African wines paired with fine domestic cheeses and converse with Albert Lokasola. Proceeds will benefit programs in Kokolopori. Hurry! Space is limited to the first 40 respondents. Please RSVP to maryll@verizon.net.

For more information on the Kokolopori-Falls Church Sister City Partnership, please visit http://www.kokolopori-partnership.org.

Rescuing Bonobo Orphans & Combating the Bushmeat Trade

2009-06-08T22:59:00.011-04:00

BCI and local partners have been the only or the most visible bonobo conservation entities in-situ across a large section of the bonobo habitat. We have therefore been on the front lines of the bushmeat trade, which has led to saving more than a dozen orphaned bonobos—and in the process, educating and forging partnerships with local and regional authorities, who were previously unaware of national and international laws against hunting bonobos.

Our most recent rescue was a bonobo from Monieka (see photo). A poacher caught her and wanted to sell her as a pet. Luckily, our staff on the ground brought her to safety and we sent her to a sanctuary in Kinshasa.

Inaugural Bonobo Benefit Bar Hop

2009-06-03T14:45:00.011-04:00

On May 21st, 2009, "Team Bonobo" put together an Inaugural Bonobo Benefit Bar Hop for BCI. Our event took place in the neighborhood of Adams Morgan in Washington, D.C. at Town Tavern and Madam's Organ. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness and funds through cover charges, raffle drawings, and selling bonobo.org bracelets.

Throughout the evening, attendees enjoyed hearing a presentation about BCI's work, viewing a photo slide show, being entertained by a magician, participating in karaoke, entering a chance to win raffle prizes, and mingling with others interested in bonobos, conservation and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

We are very proud of our first fundraising event and would like to thank all the businesses (see flyer for a list of our sponsors) who donated fantastic prizes to help us raise funds for BCI's work in the Congo.

Thank you to everyone who attended and especially to all the volunteers and interns who helped organized the event! Keep an eye out for our next fundraising event, BBQ for Bonobos, this summer!

Crista Johnson
Development Intern

BCI Establishes New Bonobo Reserve!

2009-06-03T11:23:00.004-04:00

BCI with the DRC government announced the official establishment of the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve, a community-managed protected area which harbors one of the largest known wild populations of the endangered bonobo! The Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve is the pilot and model site for the Bonobo Peace Forest, a proposed constellation of community-based nature reserves supported by sustainable development.

Larger than the state of Rhode Island, the 1,847 mi 2 (4,875 km 2) rainforest reserve delivers essential ecosystem services to the world, including biodiversity protection and carbon sequestration, and benefits the local people through training, employment and community development programs. These include sustainable agriculture, a health clinic, aid for local schools, a women’s microcredit program and the first institute of higher learning in the region, the Djolu Technical College for Rural Development and Conservation, established in tandem with the reserve.

The Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve is vital to research on and protection of bonobos, as it is one of the only sites where wild bonobos are habituated to human presence and can be viewed and studied on a daily basis. Albert Lotana Lokasola, president of the local NGO Vie Sauvage and the initiator of the project, says, “Since the time of our ancestors, our people, the Bongando, have traditionally protected and respected bonobos through taboos, legends and rituals celebrating bonobos as our closest relative and friend. The bonobo saved our ancestors from numerous dangers in the forest. We build on these traditions...We hope that many people will come and visit Kokolopori to enjoy and work with us to strengthen the reserve.”

Conserving the "Last Great Ape"

2009-06-02T15:17:00.004-04:00

Bonobos were the last great ape discovered, and could be the first to go extinct unless concerted action is taken now to protect them and their rainforest home. Threatened by illegal logging and commercial bushmeat hunting, no one knows how many bonobos remain in their natural habitat. Classified as endangered, they have disappeared from some areas and like chimpanzees; bonobo society is "male philopatric," meaning that the females migrate to other groups when they reach puberty. This eliminates the chance of incest and increases genetic diversity. However, the wild bonobo population is so fragmented now, with small groups living in isolated pockets, that the sustainability of the species is severely threatened and this is why it is critical for BCI to establish protected areas and corridors to provide genetic viability of the species.

Bonobos share a human landscape, and our work with indigenous Congolese people is an important aspect of bonobo conservation. In the past few years, BCI survey teams have discovered new bonobo groups in important sites, and together with partners, we are expanding the search.

A Unique Ape of Critical Importance

2009-06-01T16:54:00.006-04:00

Bonobos are humankind’s closest primate relatives, along with chimpanzees and share more than 98% of their DNA with humans, yet most people don’t even know that bonobos exist. They are distinguished from chimpanzees by their black face, pink lips, smaller head, brow ridge and ears, long black hair that parts in the middle, thinner neck, longer legs, and shorter arms.

The most unusual and compelling feature of bonobos is their society. In contrast to the competitive, male-dominated culture of chimpanzees, bonobo society is peaceful, matriarchal and more egalitarian. Female bonobos form close bonds and alliances with each other, which is another way they maintain their power among males, who are larger and stronger physically.

Bonobos exhibit care and compassion for each other and habitually engage in a great deal of sexual activity. Sex transcends reproduction in bonobo society, as it does in human society, and serves to promote bonding, reduce tensions and share pleasure.

Introducing Bonobo Central Blog!

2009-05-28T15:47:00.002-04:00

Dear friends,

It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you our new blog for the Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI), “Bonobo Central.” BCI is the only international NGO dedicated solely to conservation of bonobos in their natural habitat. Our work focuses on achieving three broad goals: preserving habitat (primarily rainforest), protecting bonobos and biodiversity, and building Congolese capacity to lead conservation efforts and promoting livelihood opportunities for communities within the bonobo habitat.

Please follow our blog for information on our work and news relating to bonobos, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and much more.

Thank you for your support of our work, go bonobo!

Amy Clanin

Program Manager