Craig Sholley

Craig Sholleys "experiences with wildlife and conservation began in 1973 as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zaire, Africa. He has worked and traveled extensively since that time providing biological and ecotourism expertise in a variety of world arenas. As an L.S.B. Leakey grant researcher in the late 1970's, Craig studied mountain gorillas with Dian Fossey at the celebrated Karisoke Research Center. Upon returning to the United States, he redirected his wildlife research interests developing conservation education and natural history programming for the Baltimore Zoological Society as Curator of Education. Concurrently, Craig pursued his travel interests leading tours throughout Africa, South America, and Asia.

"In late 1987, Craig returned to Africa full time to direct Rwanda's internationally-known Mountain Gorilla Project. Full responsibility for the project was ultimately turned over to the Rwandan government in early 1990. Craig then continued in Rwanda acting as Scientific Advisor for the award winning IMAX film, Mountain Gorilla. Craig has served as a Senior Associate of the African Wildlife Foundation and remains an advisor. He is a Board Member of the Ecotourism Society and is currently Director of Conservation and Education for International Expeditions, an organization widely recognized for its ecotourism and conservation efforts.

"Craig returned to Rwanda in 1995 on assignment with the National Geographic Society surveying the conservation status of mountain gorillas and critical habitat areas in Rwanda, Zaire, and Uganda in the aftermath of Rwanda's civil war. The findings of that trip are the basis of an October 1995 article in the National Geographic Magazine on mountain gorilla conservation."

"He was a Board Member of the Ecotourism Society, and remains on TIES Scientific Advisory Board. Throughout much of the 1990's, Craig was Director of Conservation and Education for International Expeditions, an organization widely recognized for its ecotourism and conservation efforts. Craig returned to Rwanda in 1995 on assignment with the National Geographic Society surveying the conservation status of mountain gorillas and critical habitat areas in Rwanda, Zaire, and Uganda in the aftermath of Rwanda's civil war. The findings of that trip are the basis of an October 1995 article in the National Geographic Magazine on mountain gorilla conservation. Craig now works with the African Wildlife Foundation headquartered in Washington, DC with field projects throughout east and southern Africa."


 * Former Vice President for Philanthropy and Marketing of the African Wildlife Foundation

Interview
"We worked directly with Rwandan National Parks system and had a big meeting in Nairobi, of all places, with all the players involved. I decided that it was important for me, and others, as technical advisers, to take a couple of steps back from the day-to-day operations of the park. The Rwandan Government was insistent that we not divorce ourselves completely from what was going on, and of course we didn't want to. At that point, another organization called the International Gorilla Conservation Program was born. That ultimately led to the creation of one of my objectives: an organization that was responsible for providing technical advice not only to one singular government, but to the three governments that provide habitat for mountain gorillas. We needed to provide them with a forum in which they could interact with each other on a regular basis. That happened in early 1990… the idea was created in early 1990 and six to eight months later it was in place and operational."