The Bas Ogooué is Gabon’s largest Ramsar Site: a wetland of international importance. It encompasses a vast stretch of the Ogooué River, adjacent lakes, and surrounding flooded forest. The area is important habitat for African forest elephants, hippos, chimpanzees, western gorillas, giant pangolins, African manatees, red-capped mangabeys, African dwarf crocodiles, Central African slender-snouted crocodiles and other Congo Basin Forest species. Dry season sandbars, river banks, and forest clearings are breeding sites for African skimmers, pink-backed pelicans and African river martins. The waterways are home to important populations of migratory fish as well as indigenous species. The Bas Ogooué also includes Gabon’s 7th largest city, Lambaréné, where the Ogooué River crosses the National Highway 1. It is an important hub for people coming by boat and car from surrounding communities with some of the largest fish and bushmeat markets in the country.

Organisation Ecologique des Lacs et de l’Ogooué (OELO) was formed in November 2010, when residents from the Lake Oguemoué community gathered to brainstorm ways to protect their lake and environment for future generations. OELO’s first project became an ecotourism site, Tsam Tsam, to create a source of revenue for local residents through protecting biodiversity while also generating income for OELO’s conservation projects. Over the course of 10 years OELO’s mission has expanded. Our mission is to:

1) Protect biodiversity and ecosystem services for future generations

2) Foster environmental awareness in local communities

3) Inspire the next generation to become environmental stewards

4) Help Bas Ogooué lake region residents to generate income through the sustainable use of resources

We now lead programs in ecotourism, environmental education, sustainable fishing, reducing illegal bushmeat commerce and facilitating biodiversity research in the Bas Ogooué lake region of Gabon.