Greetings!

We continue our peek into the amazing Conservation Chats we’ve been having with you, our incredible donors, and project leaders in the field! Shortening the distance between those who care about elephants and conservation and the “boots on the ground” make this giant world seem a little smaller and more connected. We know that our actions affect the world around us, and these Conservation Chats are a reminder that your actions make a difference.

IEF was honored to be joined by Elizabeth Ross and Emily Otali for one of these unique events last October. Elizabeth has worked in Africa for almost 40 years first in the Democratic Republic of Congo and then in Uganda for the last 30, focusing on the communities around Kibale National Park which is the last forest in East Africa that is home to healthy populations of both elephants and great apes. Together with Ugandan colleagues, Elizabeth and her husband Richard Wrangham founded the Kasiisi Project which partners with the Kibale Forest Schools Program (KFSP) to conserve the Kibale forest and its iconic wildlife.

Working closely with Elizabeth, our second guest is the first African woman to attain an PhD on chimpanzees. Emily Otali is the Country Director of the KFSP who provides programs to support education, health and care for the environment. She also serves as the Field Director of the Kibale Chimpanzee Project and Co-Director of the Kibale Snare Removal Project.

IEF has supported the work of these two women and their organizations for multiple years, bringing conservation programming to 8000 rural children and their communities, centering on 16 government primary schools, in order to help build a new generation of committed conservationists and to help local farmers live peacefully alongside wildlife.

If you would like to be invited to future Conservation Chats, please email Julie Bates at jbates@elephantconservation.org.

Father’s Day is June 19th!

Dads can sometimes be like the big bull elephants: strong, stoic, and off by themselves. Let’s remind them how much they are loved and appreciated with our new “Protect” designs in the IEF Store.

IEF Store

Also remember that our conservation partners at Animal Pride have brand new Father’s Day designs too!

Thank you for reading our eNewsletter. Please consider sharing IEF’s news on social media or directly with a friend as we hope to build on the great work you’ve supported. Together we can secure a future where elephants thrive!

Warm Wishes,
Debbie & the IEF Team