Udzungwa Red Colobus (Piliocolobus gordonorum)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 192522915

Participatory conservation trainings with schools and community stakeholders to protect endangered Udzungwa red colobus in the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania

Our main objective is to protect endangered Udzungwa Red Colobus (URC) in the Uzungwa Scarp Nature Forest Reserve (USNFR) in the Udzungwa Mountains through raising community awareness and interest. We will work with community groups and primary and secondary schools in villages bordering USNFR to implement a URC conservation education program. Workshops will focus on the uniqueness of and threats to URC, but will also emphasize forest health and the importance of habitat and resources for human and URC health and well-being. For example, conserving forest habitat enhances wildlife conservation and protects indispensable ecosystem services including clean air and water, food and medicinal sources,and aestheticand recreational benefits. Education workshops will be conducted with two primary schools and one secondary school in three villages bordering USNFR using an art and storytelling group project approach to help students connect forest health and URC conservation. Art and stories will be shared with community members through community celebration events. Working with partner community groups, we will conduct at least five community workshops on the importance of reducing activities such as logging, bush fires, firewood collection, charcoal production and hunting of URC in order to protect areas where they live and improve forest health.