The Congo rainforest is one of the Earth’s most vital treasures. The second largest rainforest on the planet, it plays a crucial role in preserving biodiversity and mitigating climate change. The rainforest is an integrated, harmonious ecosystem. The only way to save it is to adopt an integrated, harmonious conservation approach, one that ensures the wellbeing of the forest and all its inhabitants.

The Bonobo Peace Forest is the guiding vision of BCI and our local partners: a connected network of community-based reserves, supported by sustainable development. The Bonobo Peace Forest does not simply address the symptom of bonobo population decline; rather, it addresses the underlying ecological and human forces that shape the bonobos’ destiny.

All of the sites and sites-in-development where BCI and partners work are part of the Peace Forest. The Peace Forest provides protection for bonobos and other species in the Congo rainforest, while at the same time ensuring a better life for the people who share this precious land. Peace Forest communities are united in their goal to secure the future of their forests and the bonobos that live there. Since 2001, the Peace Forest concept has evolved organically, driven primarily by Congolese community interests, from the grassroots level to the national leadership.

The Bonobo Peace Forest currently spans nine million acres, with two million more in progress. With two official protected areas—the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve and Sankuru Nature Reserve—and four other sites actively in development, the Peace Forest is a vast safe haven for countless plant and animal species. Community-led conservation efforts that began at the grassroots are providing environmental benefits for the entire world.

BCI works in many project sites throughout the bonobo range in DRC. Though all of these sites have common goals, each one has a unique and fascinating story. Learn more about the Peace Forest sites, including: