With all species and subspecies of great apes currently listed as Critically Endangered or Endangered, Bisate Lodge works closely with local communities to help save Rwanda’s Mountain gorillas, including hiring most of its staff from surrounding villages. Expert local guides lead guest treks into adjacent Volcanoes National Park to learn firsthand about protecting gorilla habitat, while observing these majestic primates in the wild. Other Wilderness Safaris conservation efforts in Rwanda include protecting Chimpanzees in Gishwati Forest.

Since Bisate’s inception in 2017, 60,000 trees have been planted by staff and guests as part of Wilderness Safaris’ reforestation project. Reforesting farmed land will create a larger home range for mountain gorillas and enable their endangered populations to increase. Beyond Green guests can be taken on a guided walk through Bisate’s tree nursery and help you plant saplings as part of the reforestation project. All activities are subject to change, additional fees may be incurred by the guest.

The Rwanda chapter of Children in the Wilderness has facilitated 1110 scholarships for children in rural areas surrounding Bisate Lodge, Magashi Camp (Akagera National Park), and Gishwati (the site of a Wilderness Safaris’ latest conservation project). Beyond Green guests can enjoy a guided visit to the nearby community, and meet the subsistence farmers who sell their vegetables to Bisate. Activities are subject to change, fees may be incurred by the guest.

In partnership with local community members, Wilderness Safaris sponsors access to storage tanks holding clean water, as well as internet connectivity for students at the Bisate Primary School. In addition, the lodge supports a youth environmental club, as well as funding educational scholarships for 80 students at Bisate Secondary School. With a particular focus on providing support for education of girls, Wilderness Safaris has sponsored re-useable sanitary pads for all female students and construction of hygienic girls’ bathrooms at the secondary school, to support girls staying in school to complete their education.

In keeping with sustainability practices to reduce carbon emissions, Bisate Lodge heats its hot water with environmentally-friendly thermodynamic geysers, further reducing reliance on fossil fuels for heating water. The lodge also collects rainwater for irrigation and utilizes a rainwater purification system for producing clean drinking water.