Keep reading to look back at some of our memorable moments of 2024.
Shared Learning with Colleagues
This spring, Wild Earth Allies Board members, Ambassadors, supporters, and colleagues gathered in Washington, D.C., for a reception and panel discussion celebrating community-based gorilla conservation. Panelists included Augustin K. Basabose, Ph.D., and Michael Baraka from our partner Primate Expertise, as well as our colleagues Eugène Rutagarama and Joelle Rutagarama from Rwanda. Our work together reflects decades of local conservation action and knowledge-sharing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.
Celebrating Community-Based Conservation (Video courtesy DoGoodery)
The Rediscovery of Blue Monkeys on Idjwi Island
Widespread deforestation in the 1990s on Idjwi Island in the Democratic Republic of the Congo devastated wildlife populations. As a result, a rare subspecies of blue monkey was considered extinct. That changed when our partner and primatologist Dr. Augustin K. Basabose of Primate Expertise rediscovered a population of blue monkeys on Idjwi. Dr. Basabose recently published his findings in African Primates and his discovery led to the creation of the Idjwi Nature Reserve. A 247-acre protected area, the community-managed reserve protects critical blue monkey habitat and restores nature-based services to surrounding communities. Together, we’re safeguarding Idjwi’s biodiversity for the benefit of wildlife and people.
This camera trap footage shows a rare sub-species of Blue Monkey (Video courtesy of Primate Expertise).
A Milestone in Native Tree Restoration
Nestled in the Delmarva Peninsula, the Great Cypress Swamp once stretched across as many as 100,000 acres. However, extensive logging, drainage for agriculture, and two major fires diminished the Swamp and its native tree populations. Wild Earth Allies teamed up with Delaware Wild Lands several years ago to rewild the Great Cypress Swamp, which now covers 11,000 acres. This year, we hit a major milestone—we’ve planted over 44,000 native trees together! Through our partnership, we are restoring the Swamp’s biodiversity and developing reforestation methods with regional and global significance.
Photo courtesy of Andrew Martin / Delaware Wild Lands
New Geckos Discovered in Cambodia
Three species of slender geckos were discovered in Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains. Wild Earth Allies Conservation Manager Neang Thy and Dr. Bryan Stuart of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences made the discovery in close collaboration with the General Department of Protected Areas of the Ministry of Environment. These findings underscore the importance of conservation in Cambodia, one of Southeast Asia’s most biodiverse countries.
(1) Hemiphyllodactylus typus, (2) Hemiphyllodactylus bokor, (3) Hemiphyllodactylus samkos (Photos courtesy of Neang Thy)
A Record-Breaking Season for Hawksbill Turtles
ProCosta, our partner in El Salvador, is a leader in community-based sea turtle conservation. In 2024, they recorded a record-breaking 600 hawksbill turtle nests! These results spark optimism for the recovery of this critically endangered species, once thought to be extinct in the eastern Pacific. ProCosta and its local network released 40,000+ hatchlings from these nests, bringing the total since 2008 to 400,000 hatchlings.
Photo courtesy of Allison Shelley
