A 2-night stay in the jungle forest of Rumangabo, 2hrs north of Goma, got us out into the verdant Congolese countryside, passing through very basic, frontier villages, and directly into the area where the Congolese army and the M23 were warring just a few months ago.
A group of children playing on an abandoned rocket launcher was chilling, to say the least.
Babies are everywhere.
Often vestiges of soldiers who were stationed in the area that have moved on.
Oh, beautiful Congo!
Mountains, volcanoes, and an opportunity to hike into the jungle forest for a magical encounter with mountain gorillas.
And back at a lovely lodge called Mikeno, we had meetings with national park authorities to discuss bringing our initiative to the farming cooperatives living in the critical zone along the park boundaries when we return in September.
A group of children playing on an abandoned rocket launcher was chilling, to say the least.
Babies are everywhere.
Often vestiges of soldiers who were stationed in the area that have moved on.
Oh, beautiful Congo!
Mountains, volcanoes, and an opportunity to hike into the jungle forest for a magical encounter with mountain gorillas.
And back at a lovely lodge called Mikeno, we had meetings with national park authorities to discuss bringing our initiative to the farming cooperatives living in the critical zone along the park boundaries when we return in September.
Roughly 450 families along a 45km stretch of farmland that abutts the national park.
Once again, as in Rwanda, if the communities around the park can become stable, with food on the table and excess to sell at market along with surplus animals, community members will not go inside the forest to cut trees and poach animals.
Nor will they throw in their lot with SOCO, a huge oil corporation that has discovered massive oil deposits under the forest floor and is attempting to fill the community's heads with big, empty promises.
So now we have become a "stick-it'to-big-oil" initiative as well!
Once again, as in Rwanda, if the communities around the park can become stable, with food on the table and excess to sell at market along with surplus animals, community members will not go inside the forest to cut trees and poach animals.
Nor will they throw in their lot with SOCO, a huge oil corporation that has discovered massive oil deposits under the forest floor and is attempting to fill the community's heads with big, empty promises.
So now we have become a "stick-it'to-big-oil" initiative as well!
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