By launching a forest restoration field course in Rwanda, the Environmental Leadership & Training Initiative (ELTI) is expanding its efforts to build local capacity for ecological restoration and sustainable development.
The course, “Integrating Native Species in Forest and Landscape Restoration in the Nile Divide, Congo,” brought together practitioners from across western Rwanda who are actively engaged in forest restoration and land management. Over four days, participants explored restoration sites in three districts and learned directly from community partners and conservation leaders.
“We wanted to create a living classroom where participants can explore not only the why of forest landscape restoration, but also the how,” said Grace Bachmann ’22 MF, ELTI Rwanda program coordinator and forest restoration technical advisor at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). “In Rwanda, restoration often meant planting trees on a large scale, especially with exotic species. This course helped redefine restoration as an ecological and social process that also values native biodiversity and community knowledge.”
Gain valuable practical skills in restoration planning
The field course, supported by a SEED grant from Yale Planetary Solutions, was the culmination of months of preliminary work. In February, ELTI hosted a workshop with practitioners from nonprofit and public sectors across Rwanda to identify gaps and opportunities in forest landscape restoration training. These findings guided the development of a field guide and four-day curriculum, created with local partners and refined during a series of field visits in June.
The inaugural course, held July 7-10, brought together twelve participants representing local government agencies and nonprofit organizations, including the Albertine Rift Conservation Network, Nature Rwanda and One Acre Fund, working in the Nile Divide in Congo – a region where agriculture, forest conservation and water resources intersect. The facilitation team included Bachmann, Jacob Slusser, ELTI's global training advisor, and Jean Claude Dusabimana of Nature Rwanda, a leading expert in native species restoration.
The training took place in embankments, forests and farms, with three classroom-style lectures to complement the field exercises. Participants examined recovery strategies such as passive and active interventions, explored kindergarten management practices, and discussed how to involve communities in decision-making. Class-like modules covered topics such as the ecological basis for restoring agricultural landscapes and the role of local species in strengthening the resilience of ecosystems.
This course has helped redefine restoration as an ecological and social process that also values native biodiversity and community knowledge.”
Rwanda-based Program Coordinator, ELTI
Ferdinand Niyigena, who participated in the ELTI Rwanda program as a delegate of the Albertine Rift Conservation Network (ARCOS), focused on landscape restoration and sustainable natural resource management.
“Through fieldwork, I gained valuable practical skills in restoration planning, ecosystem monitoring and community engagement. I began applying these lessons by planting trees around rivers and Lake Kivu to promote biodiversity, control invasive plants and support natural regeneration,” said Niyigena.
All participants participated in a capstone exercise where they developed site-specific restoration strategies that integrated what they had learned throughout the week.
“A key takeaway was the importance of integrating local knowledge and priorities into restoration planning, which is not just about planting trees, but also rebuilding ecological functions in a way that supports livelihoods,” said participant Peace Uwamahoro, who works with the Rwanda Environmental Management Authority. “Since my return, I have begun to incorporate more participatory approaches into my work and ensure local stakeholders are involved in the design of restoration projects. This has made a noticeable difference in community buy-in and environmental outcomes.”
ELTI hosted a pre-course symposium and reception on forest landscape restoration, bringing together representatives from the Rwanda Forestry Authority, the Wildlife Conservation Society and Nature Rwanda, as well as graduates of the ELTI tropical forest landscape certificate program. Participants shared their experiences from Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya and Ghana.
“Our training landscapes are intended to be long-term centers for teaching and collaboration,” said Eva Garen '95 MESc, '05 PhD, ELTI Director. “They evolve over time through partnerships with local institutions and communities. In Rwanda, we work with a network of sites that reflect the diversity of restoration challenges – from riparian zones to steep slopes to smallholdings.”
Joining a global network
Based on positive feedback from participants, ELTI plans to hold a second course in December 2025, again supported by Yale Planetary Solutions. The team is also developing a leadership program to provide ongoing support to alumni through site visits and tailored support.
“At this point, we value quality over quantity,” said Bachmann. “We work closely with local partners to find the right people to train who can have a positive impact in their institutions and communities.”
As Rwanda's training landscape takes shape, it joins ELTI's global network of long-term sites in Panama, Indonesia and Brazil, each designed to support sustainable, collaborative learning for conservators.
“Each training landscape has its own character, but they all share the same goal: to empower people to restore ecosystems in ways that are ecologically sensible, socially inclusive and grounded in local realities,” Garen said.