Wood and charcoal are the sole sources of energy for the majority of people surrounding Kibale National Park in Uganda, yet most villagers do not grow their own wood.  Current legal sources of wood are diminishing rapidly as the human population increases, putting intense pressure on the National Park. Kibale is home to countless amazing species, including more than 200 species of butterflies, elephants, chimpanzees and thirteen other primate species. Reducing this amazing natural wonder to firewood would be appalling. The current project establishes demonstration areas and actively promotes home-grown wood and fuel-efficient stoves.  Through an educational outreach program, the project seeks to enhance appreciation for the National Park while teaching and encouraging the use of environmentally friendly practices. By creating a legal wood source to satisfy human needs and introducing sustainable technologies, the project will better protect the natural forest and improve park-people relationships.

The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP), started in 1996 in Papua new Guinea.  Dr. Dabek and her team identified habitat protection in this region to be a primary objective, with the tree kangaroo as an ideal flagship species. The TKCP developed a community-based strategy that helps provide community services (such as education and healthcare), and the landowners participate in all TKCP fieldwork including scientific research, land mapping, community education, and conservation outreach activities. Over a decade of collaboration with locals has resulted in protection of over 150,000 acres which includes tree kangaroo and long-beaked echidna populations and habitat.  Additional mapping of land parcels within the conservation area is needed for proper management and documentation.  The detailed maps will improve the knowledge and management of the Conservation Area.  Documenting species presence will assist in establishing long-term monitoring of the Conservation Area with landowner participation.

The Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy is a proactive approach to conservation focused on cooperation, which looks at 1,240 diverse species from the mountains to the ocean of South Carolina.  State Wildlife Grants allow each participating state to implement the action items discussed within their Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy on a 50/50 cost share. The Riverbanks Zoo grant will be used to match these grants for four herpetological species: the gopher tortoise, eastern diamondback rattlesnake, timber rattlesnake and southern dusky salamander.  These four species were selected due to the larger habitats each represents making them key indicators for their ecosystem.  Therefore, conservation efforts directed to each of these four species will provide benefits far beyond the four species individually.