Winter School: Kongou Falls and Tropical forests (Gabon, Africa)
© Roberto Cazzolla Gatti
When: January 2018
Where: Kongou falls and Tropical forests, Ivindo National Park, Gabon, Africa
What: we will guide you during pirogue rafting, field excursions, wildlife spotting (monkeys, elephants, etc.), birdwatching, tropical botanical trips, camping, wildlife photo-workshops, scientific winter school with international students, field research activities, scientific lectures and seminars (in English) on tropical forest ecology, biodiversity, botany and zoology, etc.
Why: you will have the exceptional opportunity to live in a tropical forest. After arriving in Libreville where you can take a 
bath in the Atlantic Ocean, a bus will drive us to the city of Makokou. Then we will have a short drive to the village of Loa Loa where our journey to the heart of Ivindo National Park (3000 square kilometres) starts by pirogue (a slender boat made from a hollowed out tree) to the Kongou falls along the Ivindo River. The Ivindo River flows lazily through a dense primary rainforest. Groups of islets, a wide diversity of forest environments and the squawking of African grey parrots overhead highlight this journey along one of Africa’s last uninhabited grand rivers. During the easy rafting, the possibility to spots buffaloes, elephants and eagles are high. Then we will arrive at Kongou falls before 
sunset. The waterfalls, with their dozens of chutes and bubbling white water, spread out over of a hundred acres, are among the most beautiful and impressive on the continent. Meals and accommodation will be at the Kongou Camp. Located close to the falls, the camp offers the rare opportunity to experience nights alone with the smells, sounds, sights and senses of the tropical rain forest. The camp has tropical-style beds and a restaurant offering Gabonese food. Common showers and toilets are at the disposal of guests. During the day we will have zoological and botanical field excursions, animal spotting and birdwatching in the surrounding tropical forests. Leopards, mandrills, spot-nose monkeys, elephants, pangolins, anteaters, etc. inhabits the forest and we will have high probabilities of spotting them. During the evening lectures and seminars will introduce you to tropical forest ecology and science. T
hen, a 2 days field trip will conduct us through a dense pristine rainforest inhabited by elephants, gorillas and chimpanzees to the Djidji river. In its calm waters giant otters, false gharials, pythons, iguanas, kingfishers, etc. lives. We will camp there for 3 night in tents and experience the nocturnal unique sounds of tropical forests. A pirogue rafting will eventually bring us back to Makokou. Before leaving Libreville we could visit giant turtle nests along the seaside or (only for summer tours) the humpback whales’ migration.
Who: every fit person (age 18+)
In collaboration with: Thrust the forest ONG and Fondation Internationale Gabon Eco-tourisme (FIGET)
