Wild Earth Allies

10/15/2026

We are pleased to announce that Michael Baraka Nyakabeji has been named Executive Director of our long-time partner, Primate Expertise. His appointment marks an important new chapter for the organization following the passing of its founder, Dr. Augustin K. Basabose, in 2025.

Mentored by Dr. Basabose for a decade, Michael has played an important role in advancing Primate Expertise's scientific research and community-centered conservation work. He previously served as Operations Coordinator at Primate Expertise and was a Wild Earth Allies Conservation Fellow. Michael recently earned a master's degree in African wildlife ecology and conservation from the College of African Wildlife Management, Mweka, Tanzania.

“My vision for Primate Expertise is to build on Dr. Basabose’s legacy by strengthening science-led, community-centered primate conservation in the DRC,” said Michael. “I am committed to nurturing the next generation of Congolese primatologists, expanding strategic partnerships, and generating robust scientific evidence to guide conservation action. Working alongside our talented team, partners, and local communities, we will protect threatened primates and their habitats while promoting sustainable community livelihoods.”

Read the joint announcement from Primate Expertise and Wild Earth Allies: https://wildearthallies.org/michael-baraka-nyakabeji-appointed-executive-director-of-primate-expertise/

📷 Allison Shelley

10/14/2026

Better farming. Stronger livelihoods. Healthier forests. 🌱

Near Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, members of the women-led Imbereheza Gahunga cooperative are showing how stronger livelihoods and conservation can grow together.

Through a revolving loan fund, cooperative members are growing crops to strengthen their household incomes. With guidance from Wild Earth Allies Conservation Fellow Ange Umutoniwase and hands-on learning at RICA, smallholder farmers are putting climate-smart practices to work.

The methods improve soil health and crop productivity while supporting long-term environmental stewardship—helping communities and the landscapes around them thrive together.

📷 Courtesy of Ange Umutoniwase (1) and Primal (2)

10/12/2026

Today is Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the U.S., a moment to honor the history, cultures, and enduring knowledge of Indigenous peoples. It's also a time to reflect on the deep connections between people and the land.

Here are a few ways to celebrate:

- Learn about the Indigenous peoples who live or have lived in your area
- Discover native plants where you live and their traditional uses
- Visit a museum or cultural center that recognizes Indigenous history and heritage

Read more about the history and meaning of Indigenous Peoples’ Day:

In many parts of the United States, Indigenous Peoples’ Day occurs on the second Monday in October. What is Indigenous Peoples’ Day? Here what you should know about this holiday's history, and how to celebrate it.

10/09/2026

Leatherbacks are the largest sea turtles on Earth, reaching lengths of 7 feet or more and weighing up to 2,000 pounds!

But their size isn't the only remarkable thing about them. Unlike other sea turtles, leatherbacks have a flexible, leathery shell adapted for diving in deep waters. They're also extraordinary travelers. Leatherbacks swim thousands of miles between tropical nesting beaches and cold northern feeding grounds, where they primarily eat jellyfish.

Climate change, plastic pollution, unsustainable fishing practices, and egg collection for human consumption put their future at risk.

In Costa Rica, our partner Latin American Sea Turtles - LAST works alongside local communities to safeguard leatherbacks across three critical nesting areas. Together, they monitor nests, advance scientific research, and inspire the next generation of conservation leaders.

📷 LAST

10/08/2026

To protect forests effectively, we need to understand what grows within them. 🌿

That’s why a recent discovery by Louis Peña, our Botanical Research & Conservation Ecologist, matters. While exploring a forest in northern Belize, Louis documented 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴—a plant species never before recorded in the country.

Northern Belize is one of the country’s less-studied areas, making discoveries like this especially important. Through our Trees of Belize program, Louis is documenting plant diversity across the country. His work is filling gaps in our knowledge of Belize’s forests and building a more complete picture of the plants found there.

Regional collaboration is an important part of this work. During his recent participation in the Yucatán Peninsula Working Group, Louis met with fellow botanists from across the region—including researchers whose work is now helping inform this latest finding.

Each new plant record deepens our understanding of Belize’s rich biodiversity.

📷 Louis Peña

10/06/2026

Blue monkeys were once considered extinct on Idjwi Island in the DRC. Today, a small but growing population persists there despite extensive forest loss.

Michael Baraka Nyakabeji of our partner Primate Expertise recently studied the island's blue monkeys as part of his master's research.

His findings point to an urgent need: continued forest protection and restoration, community engagement, and long-term monitoring. Michael’s research will inform conservation strategies and guide protection efforts on Idjwi.

Read more about Michael's research and his work to advance primate conservation in the DRC: https://wildearthallies.org/a-new-generation-is-shaping-primate-conservation-in-the-drc/

📹 Camera trap footage by Primate Expertise

10/01/2026

Lasting conservation depends on investing in the people, knowledge, and organizations that will carry today’s work forward. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Michael Baraka Nyakabeji is part of a new generation shaping the future of primate conservation.

As a former Wild Earth Allies Conservation Fellow and the Operations Coordinator at our longtime partner Primate Expertise, Michael was mentored by the organization’s late founder, Dr. Augustin K. Basabose.

Today, Michael is committed to carrying forward Augustin’s approach—bringing together scientific research, community knowledge, and a commitment to improving the well-being of people living alongside primates.

Read more about his work: https://wildearthallies.org/a-new-generation-is-shaping-primate-conservation-in-the-drc/

📷 Allison Shelley

09/29/2026

What grows in a protected forest—and how does it change over time? 🌿

In Belize's Deep River Forest Reserve, Louis Peña, our Botanical Research & Conservation Ecologist, recently led vegetation surveys for the Environmental Research Institute (University of Belize). The data they collected will inform the country's biodiversity monitoring protocols and fill knowledge gaps for improved forest management.

During the expedition, Louis also captured the first photographs documenting 𝘙𝘶𝘦𝘩𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢 in its natural habitat in Belize.

Sharing knowledge through collaborations like this one strengthens conservation both today and tomorrow.

📸 Louis Peña

09/24/2026

What does mountain gorilla conservation have to do with community well-being?

In Rwanda, families near Volcanoes National Park are reaping the benefits of conservation while helping gorillas thrive.

Our partner Imbereheza Gahunga, a women-led cooperative, works with their community to:

💧 Transform lives with at-home water access. Families report improved health and time for education.

🌿 Create financial resilience through new income pathways. Programs like climate-smart agriculture and sewing strengthen food security and livelihoods.

And the benefits extend to mountain gorillas. Rangers have observed a steady decline in people entering the park to collect natural resources—a sign that Imbereheza’s programs are reducing pressure on vulnerable wildlife and their habitat.

This , we’re celebrating the power of long-term partnership and conservation rooted in community.

Explore our decades-long commitment to people and nature in Rwanda in our Allied Insights report: https://wildearthallies.org/rwanda

📸 Eric Sambol (1) and Allison Shelley (2-3)