All are welcome.

NNF’s Science Centers were the first institutions of their kind in Uganda, though the idea is not new. Many of us in the US grew up attending museums and zoos and watching wildlife documentaries on TV – the Science Centers bring that enjoyable experience of science and nature to anyone who would like to visit in Uganda, free of charge.

Spreading the joy.

Kasenyi is one of 11 fishing villages inside Queen Elizabeth National Park. Bound by Lake George on one side and open savanna on the other, Kasenyi’s citizens are on the front lines of human-wildlife conflict. In December, NNF’s 6th Science Center was opened: The Kasenyi Community Nature Center. After the successful introduction of the stove program in 2022, opening this center was the next step in involving more community members and inspiring conservation action.

The opening ceremony included drumming and marimba by the winners of the previous day’s conservation competition and hundreds of visitors to the new establishment.

Joining together to improve.

In 2024, two Science Center training retreats gathered staff from all six locations. In April, staff from the five existing centers (who average nine years of tenure with NNF!) joined together in Kaburala, home of the first Science Center, aka “The Mother,” for three days of inspiring each other to become exceptional ambassadors of the natural world. Collaborative learning techniques were shared and practiced, trivia and tests were enjoyed, and nature walks around the village involved the neighbors in the fun.

In November, new staff from Kasenyi joined the group in Kibale to tour all five centers and see what all the excitement is about. In was an honor to witness the numerous moments of understanding as they experienced the centers first-hand for the first time and became encouraged to do even more in Kasenyi.