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National Park 1 Nyungwe N a t i o n a l P a r k a trail guide for Rwanda’s FORE

National Park 1 Nyungwe N a t i o n a l P a r k a trail guide for Rwanda’s FOREWORD Tourism is perceived as a pillar for economic development for Rwanda, and Nyungwe National Park plays an important role in this sector as primary nature based tourist destination in Rwanda. In the year 2005, Nyungwe was upgraded from a Forest Reserve to a National Park. This has enabled us to position it as a tourist destination among other conservation benefits that come with a National Park status. As a nature based tourist destination, Nyungwe National Park is a paradise for hikers and a network of nature walk trails has been developed for you. Please enjoy and share your experience with others to encourage more visitors to come to Nyungwe National park. It is through such visits that the park generates income to support conservation efforts that are aimed at securing the future of this important resource for future generations. I would like to thank all those who have tirelessly worked so hard to prepare this guidebook. Special appreciation goes to Destination Nyungwe Project (DNP) and International Resources Group the prime contractor for championing its development and production as well as USAID Rwanda for financing the project. Finally, it is an honour for me to welcome you to Nyungwe National Park. Foreword is authored by: Mrs. Rica Rwigamba Head of Tourism and Conservation Rwanda Development Board Acknowledgements The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) would like to express its thanks to a number of people and organizations that contributed to the preparation of this guide including: Doreen Bolnick, principal author, who walked most of the trails and developed maps and elevation profiles; Bruce Bolnick, who hiked with Doreen and took many photographs; Destination Nyungwe Project (DNP) Chief of Party Ian Munanura; current and former WCS staff – Nsengiyumva Barakabuye, Félix Mulindahabi, and Bill Weber; Amy Vedder (UNDP Technical Advisor on the Protected Areas Biodiversity Project); International Resources Group (IRG) – Glen Anderson, Kathryn Hoeflich, Daniel Lapidus, and Kyung Kim; IRG advisor Peter Nizette; and Eberhart Fischer. RDB would also like to acknowledge the Nyungwe National Park guides who worked with Doreen, shared their knowledge of the park and the folklore surrounding the park and its natural resources: Elysé Habakwitonda, Védaste Mpakaniye, Daniel Niyonsaba, Claver Ntoyinkima, Jean Claude Nyirimbabazi, Japhet Rutonesha, Jean Aimé Shumbusho, Jean Aimé Sibomana, Jovith Siborurema, Martin Sindikubwabo, and Claude Uwamahoro. Introduction Park Information Accommodation, including camping Transportation Climate Kinyarwanda greetings Hiking Nyungwe • Climate • What to bring • Trail conditions • Acclimatization • Trail maps • Elevation profiles The Trails East of Uwinka • Bigugu Trail • Congo-Nile Divide Trail • Muzimu Trail • Ngabwe Trail • Rukuzi Trail Uwinka • Buhoro Trail • Igishigishigi Trail • Imbaraga Trail • Irebero Trail • Umugote Trail • Umuyove Trail West of Uwinka • Isumo (Waterfall) Trail • Kamiranzovu Marsh Trail (and Orchid Trail) • Karamba Trail • Uwinka Trail Primate Viewing Excursions Gisakura Tea Plantation OCIR Tea Factory Banda Community Walk Birding in Nyungwe Albertine Rift Endemics found in Nyungwe National Park Recommended References Supporting Conservation in Rwanda Table of Contents 6 National Park Introduction 1 Introduction N yungwe National Park, at 1,019 square kilometers, is the largest middle- altitude rainforest in Africa. With exceptional vistas framed by giant trees, waterfalls cascading through pristine forests and an exceptionally diverse inventory of fauna and flora, Nyungwe is well worth the trip. Over 130 km of well- constructed trails invite travelers of all fitness levels to explore Nyungwe, take in the fresh mountain air and spend time with a few of Nyungwe’s 13 different primate species. 2 Introduction The Nyungwe rainforest once extended, in Rwanda, from the Burundi border in the south, to Volcanoes National Park in the north. In the early 1900s, the loss of forest in the Nyungwe region had already attracted the attention of the German colonial administration and the area was given ‘Crown Land’ status. At that time, the northwestern boundary still extended as far as the shores of Lake Kivu. Meanwhile, by the 1930s, much of Rwanda’s original rainforest was reduced to isolated patches, due to ever growing demand for subsistence farming plots and forest resources. Of those forest remnants, Nyungwe was the largest, but was steadily losing ground around its edges. In 1933, the Belgian colonial administration declared it a forest reserve, ‘La Foret Naturelle de Nyungwe’, while it still covered 1,140 square kilometers. By the 1970s, it was clear that encroachments on the forest were continuing at an alarming rate. During the early administration of the Rwandan government, and continuing into the 1980s, buffer zones of trees were planted around much of the perimeter north of the current Huye – Rusizi tarmac road. The plantations served as a visible boundary and were meant to lessen the need for wood from the forest. In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, Nyungwe began to attract the attention of biologists and other conservationists. They were surprised by the wealth of plant and animal species, some new to science, but also alarmed at the rate of ongoing destruction. Gold mining, in particular, was responsible for stripping great swaths of forest along streams. Nyungwe’s status as a reserve still permitted access to some forest resources, including gold and was inadequate protection from the surrounding communities who sought food, medicine, building materials, sources of income, land to till, or even a place to settle, right in the forest. The policy of allowing limited access to forest resources was too difficult to control. Under increasing population pressure, Nyungwe Forest Reserve had lost nearly 15% of its area – mostly lower altitude forest – to smallholder agriculture, since being declared Crown Land. T wo new areas, Pindura and Karamba, even sprang up to serve the mining community within the reserve. In 1985, WCS began work to better understand and protect Nyungwe. WCS had already played a major role, in cooperation with the Rwandan government, to protect the homeland of the gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. Together, at Nyungwe, they formed a Introduction 3 partnership ‘Projet de Conservation de la Foret de Nyungwe (PCFN), which continues to this day. Long-term research and training programs were initiated, primate groups habituated for tourism, and trails developed in the Uwinka area with the assistance of the US Peace Corps. The business centers in the Park at Pindura and Karamba were removed in 1989, and ultimately gold mining was abolished. In 2004, the entire area of Nyungwe was declared a national park including the two non-contiguous small forests of Cyamudongo, and Gisakura. Today, the number of visitors is growing steadily and Nyungwe’s future looks bright. In 2006, USAID began its support for ecotourism and biodiversity conservation in Nyungwe National Park through its Destination Nyungwe Project (DNP). Continued to date, the project helped position Nyungwe as a tourism destination by creating additional trails, establishing a new campground, building a canopy walkway and an interpretation center, and training park guides. DNP also helped create economic incentives for local communities surrounding the park to help preserve the Park’s biodiversity. Nyungwe is in the westernmost of the two main divisions of the Great Rift Valley, the western section often referred to as the ‘Albertine Rift’. It extends from Lake Albert to Lake Tanganyika. The Rift has many sizeable mountains and huge lakes which drain west into the Congo River system or east and north into the Nile River system. The Albertine Rift, in addition to having dramatic landscapes, is noted for its unusually high number of endemic species of fauna and flora. In Nyungwe there are more than 1,000 species of plants – over 200 species of trees and 248 species of orchid – and more are being found each year. At least 85 mammal species are found in Nyungwe – including 13 kinds of primates, and nearly 280 species of birds, 10% of which are endemic. Although Nyungwe is at its heart a rainforest, the biodiversity of the park is even further enriched by other landscapes including swamps, marshes, bamboo thicket, heath communities, open woodland and many microhabitats. 4 Introduction Park information Nyungwe offers visitors over 130 km of beautiful hiking trails to suit all ages and abilities. In addition to the trails within the park, the surrounding area boasts two tea factory tours, a community walk, and a tour to a local village. For all of the activities within the park – including the two isolated forests of Cyamudongo and Gisakura – tourists are accompanied by very knowledgeable and well-trained guides from the RDB. Bookings can usually be made on arrival in the park but, especially in the high season, booking in advance is recommended. Tourist Reception Centers in Nyungwe National Park (Office hours are 7:00AM – 5:00PM, seven days a week.) Bookings can be made at any of these offices in person but try to make them in advance at RDB reservation center in Kigali (see above) before you set off for the park in the uploads/Geographie/ nyungwe-trail-guide 1 .pdf