Team members from the Environmental Leadership & Training Initiative are partnering with Rwandan stakeholders in the Congo Nile Divide to develop restoration trainings focused on integrating native trees into farms, riparian areas, and other parts of the landscape to ensure their lasting stewardship.
The Environmental Leadership & Training Initiative (ELTI) at the Yale School of the Environment recently launched its first forest restoration field course in Rwanda.
Through the launch of a forest restoration field course in Rwanda, the Environmental Leadership & Training Initiative (ELTI) at the Yale School of the Environment is expanding its efforts to support local capacity for ecological restoration and sustainable development.
The course — "Integrating Indigenous Species into Forest and Landscape Restoration in the Congo Nile Divide" — brought together practitioners from across western Rwanda who are actively engaged in forest restoration and land management. Over four days, participants explored restoration sites across three districts, learning directly from community partners and conservation leaders.
In critical natural landscapes rich in biodiversity, ELTI empowers local leaders to design and implement land use practices and initiatives that protect tropical forests and the livelihoods of local landowners and their communities.
"We wanted to create a living classroom where participants could explore not only the why of forest landscape restoration, but also the how," said Grace Bachmann ’22 MF, ELTI's Rwanda-based program coordinator and a forest restoration technical advisor with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). "In Rwanda, restoration has often meant large-scale tree planting, primarily with exotic species. This course helped reframe restoration as an ecological and social process that also values native biodiversity and community knowledge."
Gaining valuable skills in restoration planning
The field course, supported by a SEED grant from Yale Planetary Solutions, was the culmination of months of groundwork. In February, ELTI convened a workshop with nonprofit and public sector practitioners across Rwanda to identify gaps and opportunities in training for forest landscape restoration. Those insights guided the development of a field guide and four-day curriculum, created with local partners and refined during a series of June field visits.
The inaugural course, which was held July 7–10, brought together 12 participants representing local government agencies and non-profit organizations including the Albertine Rift Conservation Network, Nature Rwanda, and One Acre Fund working in the Congo Nile Divide — a region where agriculture, forest conservation, and water resources intersect. The facilitation team included Bachmann, Jacob Slusser, ELTI's global training advisor, and Jean Claude Dusabimana of Nature Rwanda, who is a leading practitioner in native species restoration.
The training took place in riparian buffers, forests, and farms, with three classroom-style lectures to complement field exercises. Participants examined restoration strategies such as passive and active interventions, explored nursery management practices, and discussed how to engage communities in decision-making. Classroom-style modules covered topics such as the ecological basis for restoration in agricultural landscapes and the role of local species in strengthening ecosystem resilience.
This course helped reframe restoration as an ecological and social process that also values native biodiversity and community knowledge.”
Grace Bachmann ’22 MF
Rwanda-based Program Coordinator, ELTI
Ferdinand Niyigena, who joined the ELTI Rwanda program as a delegate from Albertine Rift Conservation Network (ARCOS), focused on landscape restoration and sustainable natural resource management.
"From the fieldwork, I grew valuable practical skills in restoration planning, ecosystem monitoring, and community engagement. I've started applying these lessons through tree planting around rivers and Lake Kivu, promoting species diversity, controlling invasive plants, and supporting natural regeneration," Niyigena said.
All of the participants engaged in a capstone exercise in which they developed site-specific restoration strategies that integrated what they had learned throughout the week.
"It's not just about planting trees but about rebuilding ecological functions in a way that supports livelihoods," said participant Peace Uwamahoro, who works with the Rwanda Environmental Management Authority. "Since returning, I've started incorporating more participatory approaches into my work, ensuring that local stakeholders are involved in designing restoration projects. It's made a noticeable difference in community buy-in and ecological outcomes."
ELTI hosted a Forest Landscape Restoration Symposium and reception prior to the course that brought together representatives from the Rwanda Forestry Authority, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Nature Rwanda, along with alumni of ELTI's Tropical Forest Landscapes Certificate Program. Participants shared lessons learned across Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, and Ghana.
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"Our training landscapes are meant to be long-term hubs for teaching and collaboration," said ELTI Director Eva Garen ’95 MESc, ’05 PhD. "They evolve over time through partnerships with local institutions and communities. In Rwanda, we're working with a network of sites that reflect the diversity of restoration challenges — from riparian zones to steep slopes to smallholder farms."
Joining a global network
Following the positive feedback from participants, ELTI plans to hold a second course in December 2025, again supported by Yale Planetary Solutions. The team is also developing a leadership program to provide ongoing mentorship for alumni through site visits and tailored support.
"At this stage, we're prioritizing quality over quantity," Bachmann said. "We're working closely with local partners to identify the right people to train, those who can have a ripple effect in their institutions and communities."
As the Rwanda training landscape takes shape, it joins ELTI's global network of long-term sites in Panama, Indonesia, and Brazil, each designed to support sustained, collaborative learning for restoration practitioners.
"Every training landscape has its own character, but they all share the same goal of empowering people to restore ecosystems in ways that are ecologically sound, socially inclusive, and grounded in local realities," Garen said.
