Gorongosa, Mozambique
Planning Stage
Gorongosa National Park
Walkway Updates
Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique
Threat/Opportunity:
Mozambique once had one of the densest wildlife populations in Africa, including carnivores, herbivores and over 500 bird species. But, during long civil conflict at the end of the 20th Century, large mammal numbers were reduced by as much as 95% and ecosystems were stressed. Although over 20% of its land is now under protection, Mozambique remains one of the least biologically explored countries in Africa.
Until 2006, when the Carr Foundation and E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation stepped in, GNP was like the rest of Mozambique, but now ranks as one of the best-studied protected areas in Africa and is now known to be home to at least 75,000 species — many of which are new to science, endemic, and threatened — so continued scientific exploration and documentation is an immediate need.
Goals:
- Enhance canopy access in a global biodiversity hotspot that has minimal canopy access or research.
- Work with universities (especially Harvard, which has a research station nearby) to create innovative and effective student research opportunities.
- Focus on educating and training local schoolchildren – especially girls – as canopy guides and forest ambassadors.
Mozambique: a Biodiversity "Hot Spot"
Located at the southern end of the Great African Rift Valley in the heart of central Mozambique, Southeast Africa, Gorongosa National Park is comprised of 1,500 square miles including the valley floor and parts of surrounding plateaus. Rivers originate on nearby Mt. Gorongosa (6,112 ft.), and water the valleys below – with seasonal flooding and waterlogging creating a variety of distinct ecosystems; grasslands dotted with patches of acacia trees, savannah, dry forest on sands, seasonally rain-filled pans, and termite-hill thickets. The plateaus contain miombo and montane forests, and a spectacular rain forest at the base of a series of limestone gorges.
The E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Lab, BioEx, has recorded 6,300+ species of animals and plants and documented many of their interactions. E.O. Wilson was the Chairman of the MISSION GREEN Scientific Advisory Board.
What is a "Hot Spot"?
A “Hot Spot” is a forest habitat of high biodiversity and critical environmental importance. Unfortunately, many of these ecosystems are threatened by habitat destruction, climate change, and other factors. MISSION GREEN believes that these areas could significantly benefit from a canopy walkway conservation program.
MISSION GREEN Global "Hot Spots"
Canopy Walkways and Walkway Prospect Locations
