In the region near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, local communities are planting trees to help protect the habitat of mountain gorillas. This initiative aims to provide residents with the trees they need for medicine, firewood, and crafts, reducing the pressure on the forest where the gorillas live. Bwindi’s forest is home to around 450 mountain gorillas, nearly half of the global population. A survey conducted in 2018 showed that the global mountain gorilla population had grown beyond 1,000, a sign of a major recovery for a species that was once on the brink of extinction. Christina Katushabe, founder of Change a Life Bwindi, explains that while the number of gorillas is increasing, the forest area they depend on has not grown. Her organization helps by providing useful tree species, restoring damaged land, and improving biodiversity. The Batwa, an Indigenous community living near the park, choose the types of trees used for medicine, timber, and firewood. The Uganda Wildlife Authority distributes seedlings, including medicinal plants, to help reduce the need for people to gather these resources inside the national park. Joseph Muhindo, an assistant tourism and hospitality officer, noted that residents can now harvest what they need locally, without disturbing the gorillas’ habitat. Tourism has played a key role in the recovery of mountain gorillas. Visitors pay to trek through the forest to see habituated gorilla families, which provides jobs and income for nearby communities. Local residents also sell handmade crafts, supporting their families. Eunice Owembabazi, a member of a women’s crafts group, said the tree planting efforts near the park mean that "we people and the gorillas do not inconvenience each other." The tree-planting campaign has also reached local schools, where students are involved in planting trees that their families will be able to use in the future. Davis Musinguzi, a student at Ruhijja Seed Secondary School, said, "Now we are going to protect the forest, so that our gorillas can stay well." The initiative is part of community conservation activities organized to celebrate World Gorilla Day, observed annually on September 24. While mountain gorillas are still classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, their status has improved from the earlier designation of critically endangered.