Ellen DeGeneres Campus Rwanda | Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund

Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda is a center for gorilla conservation and scientific research.The Ellen DeGeneres Campus fund began operations on February 1, 2022, and was developed to provide permanent accommodation for the Dian Fossey Fund, which aims to secure the future of wild mountain gorillas. During the groundbreaking ceremony on February 12, 2019, Portia de Rossi said it most effectively:

“Years ago, my wife Ellen recounted the occasion when, as a young child in New Orleans, Louisiana, she discovered a copy of National Geographic with Dian Fossey on the cover. Witnessing the daring American scientist establish a tent in the Rwandan jungle to conserve a species on the point of extinction profoundly impacted Ellen’s life. It transformed her worldview and her role within it. Ellen felt motivated to emulate Dian after learning about the pioneering contributions of the eminent scientist she revered”

Regarding The Ellen Degeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Research

The major objective of the Fossey Fund is to facilitate research. The Fossey Fund’s research on gorilla physiology, genetics, and paleontology is facilitated by the advanced Sandy and Harold Price Research Center. The Fossey Fund will enhance its collaborations with academic institutions and students by leveraging the Research Center’s laboratories, which are five times larger. The Fossey Fund’s Research Center will be crucial in equipping the forthcoming generation of African conservationists for their objectives.

Education

The Fossey Fund prioritizes educational initiatives for local youth, university students, and society as a whole. The Rob and Melani Walton Education Center contains classrooms, a science library, and a computer lab. The Fossey Fund will enhance its capacity to conduct additional conferences, seminars, and training sessions, while also expanding its partnership with both local and international colleges, due to these new facilities. The site functions as a dynamic laboratory, featuring more than 250,000 indigenous plants that enhance the constructed environment.

Motivation

Visitors to the Fossey Fund’s Ellen Campus can engage with an interactive public exhibition at the Cindy Broder Conservation Gallery, which depicts the evolution of mountain gorilla science and conservation from Dian Fossey’s era to the present. Dian Fossey dedicated more than twenty years to coexistence with gorillas, and the Conservation Gallery showcases previously unseen artifacts from that period, along with a captivating visual experience that includes virtual and augmented reality and a 360-degree immersive theater. The Ellen Campus features a café, gift shop, and comfortable seating places ideal for observing the diverse flora and fauna.

The Fossey Fund’s Ellen Campus exerted influence prior to its inauguration. The campus was developed and constructed by MASS Design Group and MASS Build, both of which have received multiple accolades for their contributions. The effects include:

  • 2,400 employees engaged
  • 99% of the workforce included Rwandans, with more than 20% being female. Over $15 million was invested in Rwanda and its populace. More than 250,000 indigenous plants were grown.
  • More than 20,000 guests in the first year

The Story of the Dian Fossey Fund’s Ellen Campus

Ellen DeGeneres has leveraged her influence throughout her career to advocate for marginalized groups.

Her childhood idol was, in fact, renowned gorilla conservationist Dian Fossey.

Consequently, Portia founded The Ellen Fund in 2018 as a tribute to Ellen, aiming to support Dian in her endeavors to preserve the magnificent mountain gorillas via The Fossey Fund.

For over five decades, The Fossey Fund has steadfastly supported gorillas, remaining committed even during the genocide and the pandemic. Nonetheless, they have never possessed a residence of their own.

The Fossey Fund’s permanent facility, which is a campus devoted to gorilla conservation, was established with extensive and early support from The Ellen Fund.

The sustainable and technologically advanced complex is presently hosting visitors under the official designation The Ellen DeGeneres complex of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

Spanning 12 acres adjacent to Volcano National Park in northern Rwanda, it encompasses over 45,000 square feet of facilities, including state-of-the-art laboratories, a scientific conservation library, student accommodations, a conference hall, and interactive exhibits designed to foster a lifelong commitment to gorilla conservation.

Approximately 250,000 trees were planted in the region. The construction industry transcended limitations by employing a significant number of women (exceeding 2,400) and by generating new employment opportunities during the challenging period of Covid.

The facility increased the available laboratory space for the Fossey Fund thrice and doubled the number of classrooms.

The impact of the campus extends beyond gorillas. It endorses African-led conservation science, sustainable tourism, environmental stewardship, the long-term viability of the Fossey Fund, and the requirements of the adjacent community.

The campus impact at the end of 2022 includes:

  • More than $15 million was spent in Rwanda.
  • 2,400 new construction jobs
  • Over 500 individuals obtained certifications from a local institution for trade skills acquired through their employment.
  • More than 20% of the workforce were women, including those in senior positions. Additionally, 250,000 indigenous plants were cultivated, significantly restoring biodiversity to the previously agricultural terrain within a few months.
  • The Campus welcomed almost 15,000 visits in the initial six months, involving more than 2,000 local schoolchildren.
  • The collaboration between the Campus and Azizi Life (gift shop) led to the enhancement of Azizi Life initiatives in northern Rwanda and provided assistance to women’s cooperatives nationwide.
  • The collaboration between the Campus and Food & Stuff (café) provides fresh and nutritious meals to Campus personnel (supported by the Fossey Fund) and visitors, while also facilitating an expansion of their operations.
  • The Campus features a superpanoramic 360° theater that digitally immerses visitors in the experience of mountain gorillas, facilitated by a collaboration with HabitatXR. They also innovated virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences to improve campus visits.
  • The campus architecture, purpose-designed gardens, and the experiences of visitors and staff aim to exemplify responsible conservation while educating future leaders.