The Shinehouse Gishwati Research Station, jointly operated by the Forest of Hope Association and faculty from West Chester University, is a facility dedicated to promoting research, study abroad activities, and community based conservation initiatives in and around Gishwati forest and to fostering interdisciplinary interaction and collaboration. Located on the southern edge of Gishwati, this research station offers easy access to and stunning views of the forest and is in close proximity to a local primary/secondary school and a regional health clinic. In addition, the research station is located within a short driving distance to both Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda.
Gishwati is a montane rainforest fragment located south of Volcanoes National Park in western Rwanda. In the mid-1970s, Gishwati consisted of approximately 280 km2 of forest, but over the last several decades, anthropogenic activities have reduced its current size to 14 km2. Since 2008, Gishwati has been under protected status, prohibiting most human activities within its boundaries. On October 15, 2014 the Rwandan government passed a law conferring national park status on Gishwati, which along with Mukura forest to the south now make up the Gishwati-Mukura National Park. Despite its small size, Gishwati is home to a large diversity of flora and fauna including numerous orchid species, servals, side-striped jackals, golden monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, galagos, and a community of approximately 35 chimpanzees. Recently, reforestation efforts in Gishwati have established a 336 hectare corridor between the core forest and a newly delineated area Kinyenkanda consisting of 262 hectares of formerly agricultural land.
Since 2008, Drs. Rebecca Chancellor and Aaron Rundus, faculty at West Chester University, and Madeleine Nyiratuza, president of the Forest of Hope Association, have been working in and around Gishwati forest. Beginning in 2015, they began working with the West Chester University Foundation to raise funds for the construction of the Shinehouse Gishwati Research Station. The vision for the research station was to provide living space for visiting students and researchers, infrastructure and equipment for scientific research, and a venue for local community engagement events, conferences, and educational programming. Through the contributions of several donors, including a significant contribution from the Shinehouse family, they began the construction of phase one of the new facility in late 2016 and the station became operational in 2017. For more information on the Shinehouse family and their contribution to the research station click here. Since it’s opening, the Shinehouse Gishwati Research Station has hosted researchers and student groups from around the world. The team is currently raising funds for phase two of this project, which will include a laboratory/classroom facility, a dedicated kitchen, and additional residences for long-term researchers.