Save Tomorrow Center
Region
Africa
Country
Congo (DR)
Flyway
East Atlantic flyway
Initiative
WLI Africa
About
Name of organisation
ONG Réseau des Educateurs du Développement Durable / Network of Sustainable Development Educators-NGO
Funding support
Internal member’s contribution
Number of staff
35 members
Number of visitors per year
We don’t yet have a purpose-built center. However, we’ve already start consultations with territorial authorities, customary land chiefs, and village chiefs to facilitate its establishment
Overall aims of the centre
Our Education Center will be a national and regional hub for environmental education, community engagement, and knowledge exchange. It’s dedicated to conserving and sustainably managing wetlands across the DRC.
So the DRC is home to the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest, one of the largest tropical peatland complexes on Earth, and an exceptional diversity of wetlands that provide important global ecosystem services, such as biodiversity conservation, climate regulation, a reliable freshwater supply, and carbon storage. The recent establishment of the Green Corridor, a community-oriented protected landscape extending across nine provinces and covering an area similar in size to France, creates an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen communication, education, participation, and awareness (CEPA) as a cornerstone of conservation and sustainable development.
Despite this opportunity, many communities go on to features important challenges. These include limited access to environmental information, insufficient awareness of the ecological value of wetlands, and industrial extractive activities that are not conducted with the successful implementation of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). These realities underscore the urgent need for a permanent education and capacity-building institution.
Save Tomorrow Center so pursues the following objectives:
1. Promote environmental education and CEPA by increasing knowledge, awareness, and public participation in the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands among schools, universities, local communities, public institutions, and civil society.
2. Strengthen the capacity of Indigenous peoples and local communities to participate actively in wetland governance, advocate for their environmental rights, and support the effective implementation of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) in conservation and development initiatives.
3. Support biodiversity conservation and climate resilience by promoting the sustainable management of natural resources, protecting peatlands and other wetland ecosystems, and implementing nature-based solutions that contribute to national and global climate goals.
4. Serve as a center of excellence for research, learning, and knowledge exchange. Facilitate collaboration among researchers, educators, government agencies, conservation organizations, and local communities. Document and disseminate best practices in wetland conservation.
5. Contribute to the sustainable management of the Green Corridor and other priority wetland landscapes. Develop educational programs, interpretation tools, community outreach initiatives, and partnerships. Empower local stakeholders to become active custodians of the Congo Basin’s globally significant wetlands.
Description of the centre
Size of site: The center is planned to take up an area of approximately one to two hectares. This provides sufficient space for infrastructure, educational gardens, interpretation trails, green spaces, and ecological restoration demonstration sites.
Types of habitats and species supported: The center will feature a three-story main building designed in accordance with sustainable architectural and energy efficiency principles.
That will include:
• Seven double-occupancy guest rooms to accommodate researchers, students, trainers, volunteers, and national and international partners;
• Each room will have a private bathroom and toilet facilities;
• Three multifunctional offices will be dedicated to administration, research, CEPA program coordination, and technical meetings;
• On the ground floor, there will be a large, modular exhibition hall that can be converted into a conference room, training venue, or workshop space, depending on operational needs;
• A modern reception area designed to welcome visitors, school groups, and institutional partners.
Supported Species: The Center will contribute to raising awareness of and promoting the conservation of the following flagship wetland species found in the Congo Basin:
• Raphia palms;
• Papyrus and other aquatic plants;
• Mangrove species;
• Resident and migratory waterbirds;
• Wetland fish species;
• Amphibians and reptiles associated with marsh ecosystems.
Activities run: The Center will organize a wide range of activities, including:
• Educational guided tours;
• Environmental education programs for schools and universities;
• Training courses on the CEPA approach under the Ramsar Convention;
• Scientific conferences;
• Community workshops;
• Youth camps;
• Teacher training programs;
• Citizen science initiatives;
• Ecological restoration activities;
• Public awareness campaigns.
Exhibits: Visitors will be able to discover the following:
• A permanent exhibition on the wetlands of the DRC;
• A gallery dedicated to the peatlands of the Congo Basin;
• An exhibition on the mangrove ecosystems of Moanda;
• An interactive presentation of Congolese biodiversity;
• The ecosystem services provided by wetlands;
• Impacts of climate change;
• Nature-based solutions for ecosystem conservation and climate resilience;
• Traditional knowledge of local communities and indigenous peoples.
Numbers of visitors per year: At full operational capacity, the Center aims to receive 2,000 to 3,000 visitors per year, including schoolchildren, college students, researchers, teachers, policymakers, tourists, partner organizations, and local community members.
Location of the site: The first center will be established in the coastal city of Moanda in the Kongo Central province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The site is located inside a landscape characterized by mangrove forests, coastal wetlands, and marine ecosystems, providing an ideal setting for environmental education, research, and conservation activities
Work Areas
Main CEPA work area
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Communication: The Center will implement a comprehensive communication strategy to promote the ecological, social, cultural, and economic value of wetlands. This strategy will include developing educational materials such as guides, brochures, posters, and interpretive signage; producing and disseminating digital and audiovisual content; launching social media campaigns; creating radio and television programs; and organizing scientific conferences, exhibitions, and public events.
Additionally, the Center will serve as a knowledge-sharing platform, disseminating information on wetlands, peatlands, the biodiversity of the Congo Basin, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s commitments under the Ramsar Convention.
Education: Education is the keystone of our vision and the foundation of environmental sustainability. We firmly believe that lasting conservation cannot be achieved without a high-quality education system that fosters environmentally responsible citizens from an early age.
The Center will develop environmental education programs for schools, universities, teachers, researchers, policymakers, local communities, and indigenous peoples. The Centre will offer educational field trips, professional training courses, nature camps, citizen science programs, and workshops on wetlands, peatlands, climate change, biodiversity, and nature-based solutions.
Environmental interpretation tools will transform every visit into an engaging, interactive learning experience that fosters a deeper understanding of ecosystems and their conservation.
Community Participation: The Center will promote the meaningful participation of Indigenous peoples, local communities, youth, women, civil society organizations, and local authorities in the sustainable management of wetlands.
Activities will include community dialogue workshops, environmental governance training, promotion of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), volunteer programs, ecological restoration initiatives, and development of locally driven solutions to address conservation challenges.
Awareness-raising: The Centre will conduct continuous public awareness campaigns to strengthen understanding of the vital role wetlands play in regulating the climate, conserving biodiversity, ensuring food security and a stable water supply, and promoting human well-being.
Through open houses, celebrations of international environmental observances (particularly World Wetlands Day), interactive exhibitions, school competitions, public lectures, cultural events, and digital media outreach, the Center will foster a strong conservation culture in which every citizen becomes a steward of the Congo Basin’s ecosystems.
Top three successes
The Centre does not yet have this in place. It will be developed as part of the Centre’s establishment and operationalization
Top three challenges
The Centre does not yet have this in place. It will be developed as part of the Centre’s establishment and operationalization
Expertise
Interpretation techniques
Producing written materials; Using audio-visual tools;
Visitor centres
Managing / creating habitat
Participation
Working with disabled people; Engaging young people; Engaging the local community; Working with volunteers
Education and communication
Early years education; Delivering adult education; Working with primary schools; Lobbying / running campaigns; Working with secondary schools; Developing resources / materials
General
PR and marketing; Running effective administration; Fund-raising; Project planning.
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