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You know we’re all about protecting bonobos. One of the best ways to do that is to help create sustainable economic opportunities for the people who share their forest. This summer, actor and activist Ashley Judd met with BCI President Sally Jewell Coxe and community leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We were honored to share ideas with this incredible leader of the female empowerment movement #timesup and UN Goodwill Ambassador, and now we’re ready to kick off an exciting economic initiative to benefit women living in the Bonobo Peace Forest!

The BCI team has just returned from an exciting visit to the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve! BCI president, Sally Jewell Coxe, and our field team were accompanied by some special guests—including activist and actress Ashley Judd, filmmaker and co-founder of Nature Needs Half James Brundige, and renowned wildlife photographer Frans Lanting. Before the expedition, BCI and Ashley partnered on a petition to raise global awareness about the importance of protecting bonobos and their rainforest habitat. She is so enthusiastic about our work that she wanted to see it first-hand! Upon her return to the States, Ashley said of her trip to the Congo: “It changed my life.”

We are deeply honored to be included in the Buckminster Fuller Challenge’s archive and retrospective film! The Challenge is considered “socially responsible design’s highest award” and celebrates projects that use a whole-systems approach to address globally significant problems. The Bonobo Peace Forest is being recognized as one of the best entries to the Challenge in the last ten years. Check out the archive and video, available now!