A new conservation programme in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park is set to blend cutting-edge science with community action in a bid to protect one of the world’s most iconic and endangered species the mountain gorilla.
Launched on September 10, 2025, by the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and the TUI Care Foundation, the two-year TUI Wildlife Programme Rwanda introduces environmental DNA (eDNA) technology to the park for the first time.
Alongside this scientific leap, the initiative also invests heavily in local communities and young people, training, educating, and inspiring the next generation of conservationists.
Science Meets Conservation
Volcanoes National Park, nestled in the Virunga Mountains, is home to the mountain gorilla, whose numbers have slowly risen thanks to decades of dedicated protection efforts.
Yet, challenges remain.
The park’s small size, increasing human activity along its borders, and the mounting effects of climate change continue to pose serious risks to biodiversity.
To address these threats, the project will use eDNA technology an innovative method that detects genetic material left behind in soil and water by animals and plants.
“By collecting genetic material from soil and water, eDNA enables scientists to monitor species and ecosystem health more accurately—laying the foundation for smarter, data-driven conservation decisions,” the partners said in their joint announcement.
The data will be combined with satellite imagery and ground reports to create a more comprehensive picture of ecosystem health, enabling park managers to make better-informed decisions.
Empowering Communities
The programme also recognises that conservation cannot succeed without the involvement of the people living closest to wildlife.
One hundred community members from the area surrounding the park will be trained in wildlife and habitat monitoring.
Equipped with new skills, they will help track changes in biodiversity, monitor human-wildlife interactions, and contribute data to a cloud-based platform designed to provide real-time insights for conservation response.
“The project empowers local communities by training 100 of their members in wildlife monitoring,” the release noted, highlighting the effort to build local ownership of conservation.
In addition, 200 students from ten schools will take part in park visits, debates, and writing competitions designed to spark a passion for conservation.
Through a partnership with the University of Rwanda, young professionals will also receive training in eDNA sampling and analysis, a move expected to build the country’s scientific capacity in biodiversity monitoring.
Partnerships for Impact
The programme is being implemented in collaboration with several key organisations, including the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, the Rwanda Development Board, the University of Rwanda’s Center for Biodiversity, and the International Gorilla Conservation Programme.
These partnerships ensure the initiative is aligned with Rwanda’s national conservation strategy while also contributing to global goals such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
According to the release, “In both regions, the shared goal is clear: invest in local people, scientific innovation, and sustainable conservation that benefits both nature and communities.”
This reflects the broader approach of both AWF and the TUI Care Foundation, which have also collaborated on projects in Kenya’s Tsavo landscape.
Linking Tourism and Development
The launch of TUI Wildlife Rwanda coincides with the TUI Care Foundation’s Tourism for Development September, a month dedicated to initiatives in Least Developed Countries.
The foundation has pledged €10 million by 2030 through its Tourism for Development Fund, a joint commitment with UN Tourism, to support such projects.
By linking tourism with conservation, the initiative highlights how sustainable travel can generate benefits not only for ecosystems but also for the people who live alongside them.
The Foundation explained that these projects “focus on how sustainable tourism can increase the capacity of destination communities and empower them to improve their livelihoods, conserve and regenerate nature, and create market-based solutions that benefit tourism destinations.”
A Model for the Future
For AWF, founded in 1961, the programme reflects its long-standing vision of an Africa where development and biodiversity go hand in hand.
The organisation’s work combines science, policy, education, and on-the-ground programmes to safeguard wildlife and wild lands across the continent.
The TUI Care Foundation, meanwhile, seeks to harness tourism as “a force for good,” supporting education, nature conservation, and sustainable livelihoods in destinations worldwide.
Its work rests on partnerships that connect tourists with meaningful projects, creating what it describes as “long-lasting impact.”
As conservation pressures intensify across Africa, initiatives such as the TUI Wildlife Programme Rwanda may provide a blueprint for future efforts.
By marrying advanced science with grassroots engagement, the project underscores the reality that protecting endangered species like the mountain gorilla requires not only cutting-edge tools but also the commitment of local people.
With eDNA technology now in play, communities trained and mobilised, and young Rwandans encouraged to see conservation as their future, the project sets an ambitious but hopeful path forward.
