As regular Diary of a Muzungu readers will know, conservation brought me to Uganda. I continue to support a number of conservation organisations including the Uganda Conservation Foundation (UCF), Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), NatureUganda, Conservation Through Public Health, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Trust and WWF. I’m always happy to support conservation projects in Uganda, indeed across East Africa. In Kenya, I’m a big fan of the innovative conservation and community projects developed by the Watamu Marine Association. I’ve also written about the work of The Gorilla Organization and RDB in Rwanda.
I recently bumped into conservationist Constantino Tessarin, Chairman of the Association for the Conservation of Bugoma Forest, and realised it was about time I wrote about the Bugoma Forest project. You may have read about it in the newspaper. Here’s some background information about the project and details on how you can get involved in the campaign to #SaveBugomaForest.
Where is Bugoma Forest? And why is it important?
Association for the Conservation of Bugoma Forest launches private patrols in Bugoma Forest
Bugoma Central Forest Reserve is 410 sq km of Protected Area, comprising a stretch of forest measuring 40 km. In terms of biodiversity importance, Bugoma was rated number 12 out of 65 Ugandan forests surveyed. Bugoma is the largest remaining block of forest along the Albertine Rift Valley between Budongo (Murchison Falls Conservation Area) in the North and the Semliki Reserve to the South.
Map of Bugoma Forest, Hoima District Uganda
267 species of trees, 18 mammals and 278 butterflies have been recorded in Bugoma Forest. Primates are abundant, with a population of 580 chimpanzees; however, these primates are endangered as their migratory wildlife corridors between Bugoma and Budongo are disappearing. Bugoma Forest has a large number of black and white Colobus monkeys, Ugandan Mangabey, Red-tailed monkeys (Nagawa’s totem!) and Blue monkeys. The Ugandan mangabey is only believed to be present in Bugoma, as it has become extinct in other forests in the region. Bugoma is also home to a small population of forest elephants, golden cats and side-striped jackals. The forest is a birding sanctuary, with 221 birds species recorded. Bugoma forest is therefore a big potential tourist destination on the Rift Valley circuit, yet one of Uganda’s forgotten treasures.
Black and white Colobus monkey. PHOTO Andy Gooch
#SaveBugomaForest Introducing the Association for the Conservation of Bugoma Forest
The aim of the Association for the Conservation of Bugoma Forest (ACBF) is to conserve Bugoma Forest and the chimpanzees in Hoima District by changing the current trend of deforestation in both protected forest and private land. ACBF was established in 2014.
Since 2016 in particular, there has been rampant escalation in illegal logging of hardwood timber (Mahogany), illegal cattle grazing (which has lead to burning extensions of forest for pasture) and huge encroachment into the protected areas for agriculture.
“Our forest cleared” – the boundaries of Bugoma Forest photographed in 2014. Whether protected area or private land, the threat to wildlife from deforestation and implications for climate change and reduced water catchment are real
Illegal timber, Bugoma Forest, Hoima District
Bugoma Forest came into the media spotlight last year when a sugar investor (Hoima Sugar Works) started to clear part of the forest to make way for a sugarcane plantation, claiming that it had received the land title from Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom. Fortunately, the intervention of the Ugandan government blocked that plan.
What is the Chimp T-RAP Project?
Earlier this year, ACBF launched its first private patrol to help National Forest Authority in monitoring and curbing illegal activities in Bugoma Forest. Through the Chimp T-RAP Project, a team of five people are paid by the Association to provide regular patrols, and therefore intelligence, which is already bringing positive results in reducing illegal activities in the forest.
The Chimp T-RAP team make regular patrols of Bugoma Forest
The Association is also fully committed to give legal support to these and any other people working in conservation who face violent intimidation by the illegal logger community.
Another ongoing ACBF project is the public nursery bed in Kabwoya, Hoima District. ACBF provides seedlings of indigenous and tropical trees to institutions and farmers who are interested in signing up to extend their tree cover for the purpose of agroforestry and protection of water sources.
Tree seedlings are available from the public nursery bed in Kabwoya, Hoima District
Can you spare a few shillings to help protect Bugoma Forest? 50,000 UGX is one week’s salary for a member of the patrol team that protects the forest. (That’s approx $12)
We LOVE trees! We NEED trees! Let’s support the Association for Conservation of Bugoma
To learn more about the Association for the Conservation of Bugoma Forest, visit the ACBF blog. Keep uptodate with their activities via their Facebook page. The threats to Bugoma are real. Read the latest comments on this page!
#SaveBugomaForest
NatureUganda is the country’s best known conservation organisation. They recently wrote to members about “The status of Bugoma Central Forest Reserve: the implication of the High Court ruling that part of the forest be converted into a sugarcane plantation”.
Dear Member,
As you may be aware, in the last few years Bugoma Central forest reserve has faced various threats from encroachment, the largest of which has been a claim by the Bunyoro Kingdom that part of what is known as the Central Forest reserve belongs to the Kingdom.
Subsequently this land in dispute covering about 5779 hectares was released to a sugarcane company called Hoima Sugar works in 2016.
Bugoma Central Forest Reserve which covers 41.144 hectares of protected area, is the largest remaining block of natural tropical forest along the Albertine Rift Valley between Budongo and Semliki, therefore playing an enormous role in preserving wildlife migratory corridors. The forest provides vast ecosystem services to the people and it is critical for the health of all the population beyond the region.
NatureUganda in collaboration with Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST) have organized a Public talk on “the Status of Bugoma Central Forest Reserve: the Implication of the High court ruling that part of the forest be converted into a sugarcane plantation”.
The Guest Speakers were: Chairman Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, National Forest Authority and Civil Society organizations including Tree Talk Plus.
The public talk was held on 9th May 2019 at the Uganda Museum. The venue was packed with concerned and angry members, flanked by many journalists. The presentations were aired live on TV.
Visit the NatureUganda web site to download presentations by NatureUganda, Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, OWEYEGHA-AFUNADUULA and Gaster Kiyingi of TreeTalkPlus .
Court ruling to replace Bugoma Forest with sugarcanes raises serious concerns
Tony Ofungi – eTN Uganda has written a detailed piece about Bugoma Forest.
Bugoma Forest must remain, says Uganda’s President, but conservationists not celebrating just yet