Upemba National Park stands as the largest national park in Katanga Province. Once teeming with majestic elephants, graceful zebras, and elegant impala numbering in the tens of thousands, Upemba has experienced a dramatic decline in biodiversity in recent years due to rampant illegal mining and poaching. However, hope remains, and “Restoring the Wild” captures the beginning of a powerful journey to tell the story of reclaiming nature’s lost glory.

In 2022, the team embarked on a remarkable assignment in Upemba, capturing the essence of the restoration process. Now, they are set to venture even deeper into the remote and inaccessible corners of the park to expand on this narrative. We invite you to join them in this adventure as they shine a light on the tireless efforts undertaken by Major Fils and his team to breathe new life into Upemba’s struggling ecosystem.

Forgotten parks like Upemba are not just lost spaces—they are critical components of our planet’s delicate balance. By building a global community that values and protects these natural treasures, we can make a significant impact on conservation efforts worldwide.

To stay connected and receive exclusive behind-the-scenes updates about the filming process and the ongoing protection of Upemba National Park, we encourage you to visit www.upembafilm.com and sign up for updates. Together, we can make a difference and restore the wild spaces that have been lost.

“Restoring the Wild” Credits:
Director: Carter Kirilenko
Producers: Carter Kirilenko, Sam Chevallier, Liam Kelly
Cinematographer: Justin Sullivan
Editor: Alessandra Squarzon and Carter Kirilenko
Production Company: ReWild Africa

Join the movement for environmental preservation and support the restoration of Upemba National Park.

The post Restoring the Wild: Upemba National Park’s Journey to Recovery Captured in Inspiring New Film appeared first on African Conservation Foundation.

Led by the UN’s Environment Programme (UNEP)and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Decade commits to the protection, conservation, and revitalization of ecosystems worldwide. Only with healthy ecosystems can we achieve global development goals, improve people’s livelihoods, reduce climate risks, and halt de loss of biodiversity.

The wildlife of sub-Saharan Africa faces unprecedented level of threats from loss and fragmentation of habitat, poaching, hunting, climate change, and population growth to name but some. There has been a steep generational decline to a vast number of species of fauna and flora, and the IUCN Red List demonstrates that many are vulnerable to extinction, including some of the continent’s most iconic species.

Large conservation organisations have an important role to play, but saving Africa’s wildlife can and will only happen if a robust network of well-functioning local organisations are working deeply within local communities.

Currently, however, there is a significant lack of local organisations with adequate capacity, skills, resources and funding – ACF exists to tackle this core problem.

As a Restoration Implementation partner, ACF will strengthen local capacities and lead restoration efforts through its landscape approaches – integrating biodiversity conservation, rural development and carbon sequestration through bottom-up, community-led projects.

Ecosystem restoration is increasingly seen as an immediate and effective way of tackling biodiversity loss and climate change at the same time. In the next decade, ACF will increase its efforts to promote and accelerate the restoration of savanna, rainforest, wetland and other landscapes in Africa, focusing on key biodiversity areas and ecological corridors.

With the support of our sponsors, partners and donors, ACF is proud to contribute to the Decade as a Restoration Actor. To support our ecosystem restoration work, please consider donating to ACF.

Learn more about the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration:

• Visit the Decade’s website
• Strategy
• Browse physical and virtual events
• Play a game, restore the planet

Photo: Antony Trivet (Scopio)

The post The African Conservation Foundation becomes Actor for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration appeared first on African Conservation Foundation.