the glories of Rwanda's national forest

Nyungwe National Park was established in 2005 and is located in the southwestern part of the country. The park is over 1,000 square kilometers and ranges from 1,600-2,950 meters above sea level. It is home to 1,068 species of plants, 275 species of birds, and 14 primates. In addition to Nyungwe's rich biodiversity, the springs--located between the hills--provide the country with 70% of its water. Our guides Christophe and Chrysologue led us to the canopy walk where some of us conquered our fear of heights to witness the beauty of the forest. In the afternoon we tracked colobus monkeys. Our guide Rugamba J. M. V. explained that the colobus monkeys live in packs and are omnivores. We were lucky enough to see a mother and her baby up close. Several photos later, we hiked through the forest and came upon a clearing beside a tea plantation. The view was breathtaking and what made it even better was the rainbow that appeared after a short rain shower. After a physically tiring day, we enjoyed a delicious cup of hot chocolate during Chiara's class. Her class asked the group to think about the West's implicit biases of the Africa as well as our own.

While in Nyungwe it is clear why Rwanda is nicknamed the "land of a thousand hills". There is so much beauty in this country from its architecture to the clothing, music, art, landscapes, people, and stories. So much of what I have observed has reshaped my view of the country and continent. I often think about my experiences in terms of themes and what struck me about this portion of our stay in Rwanda was how the ideas of rebuilding, reconciliation, and unity manifests itself outside of Kigali and the village. Every where we went there were signs in remembrance of the genocide, and in more subtle ways the relatively newness of the national park and the move to conserve areas of environmental importance suggest that this country wants to build a better future for their people. For example, Nyungwe National Park is protected by the Rwanda Board of Development (RDB), but locals are allowed to put bee hives at the edge of the forest so the land is beneficial to them. As our time in Rwanda comes to an end, I really appreciate how all of the different stories we have had the privilege to hear, fit together to paint the bright continent as a land of great potential and heart.