“A true model of sustainable tourism that promotes rainforest conservation while creating meaningful impact for local communities. Sapo Ecolodge is a destination not to be missed!”

Group of women and children sitting and standing on a wooden porch of a small cabin in a forest, smiling and waving at the camera.

Who are we ?

Founded and co-managed by the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), a non-profit organization, in collaboration with the Liberian Forestry Development Authority, the Sapo Women Conservation Enterprise and six local communities, Sapo Ecolodge is a community-based ecotourism project. Sapo Ecolodge currently employs 12 local community members, including 8 women,  while the tourism activities around Sapo National Park provide jobs for more than 40 people from the communities surrounding the National Park. We are caterers, tourist guides, tourist ecoguards, cleaners, cooks, and security staff — but above all, we are guardians of the forest.

Our story

The idea of Sapo Ecolodge was born from the conviction that the Sapo National Park, Liberia’s oldest national park, must be preserved for and with the local communities for today’s and future generations, as one of Liberia’s outstanding natural heritages.

The Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), which implements wildlife conservation projects in close collaboration with local governments and local communities across West Africa, particularly for the survival of our closest relatives, the chimpanzees, has supported Sapo National Park for the past decade, in partnership with the Forestry Development Authority (FDA).

In 2019, two local women, Lucky and Vester, participated in an exchange program with WCF’s Taï Ecotourism program in Côte d’Ivoire. The visit to Taï changed Lucky’s and Vester’s lives. They were highly impressed by seeing how their Ivorian counterparts were promoting conservation while having a regular income. Lucky and Vester became determined to promote ecotourism around Sapo National Park too, and alongside other community members, asked for support from WCF. That request marked the beginning of the Sapo Ecolodge.

In 2021, with support from the German donor Rainforest Rescue and the FDA, WCF built the ecolodge and trained local community members in hospitality and ecotourism management. The local women from 6 surrounding towns, led by Lucky and Vester, are now at the heart of the project and are being trained to gradually take over the management of Sapo Ecolodge through their newly established organization — the Sapo Women Conservation Enterprise (SWCE).

Meet our team

A woman with dark skin, short natural hair, and a slight smile standing outdoors in front of green foliage and a body of water. She is wearing a navy blue polo shirt with embroidered text.
A man paddling a boat on a muddy river with dense green foliage in the background.
Smiling woman wearing a black Nike tank top outdoors with trees in the background.
A smiling woman in a brown polo shirt pointing to her shoulder, standing outdoors near a stream with green foliage in the background.
A young man squatting on a wooden plank bridge in a lush, green forest, holding a small axe in his hand, and smiling at the camera.
A smiling woman wearing a yellow t-shirt and colorful floral pants, standing in a river or stream with green foliage in the background.
A smiling woman with short, curly black hair, wearing a blue outfit, stands in a lush, green outdoor setting near a body of water.
A smiling woman with red twisted hair standing outdoors near a stream with lush greenery in the background.
A man with gray hair, wearing a green t-shirt and black shorts, crouches in a dense forest, planting a small plant in the soil.
A woman with long, wavy hair smiling outdoors with a forest and mountain landscape in the background.
A woman with short curly hair smiling outdoors, wearing a brown polo shirt.
A woman with blonde hair smiling, wearing a yellow floral dress, standing indoors against a wooden door and wall.
A woman smiling outdoors in a forested area, wearing a navy shirt with 'Sapo Ecodeluge' embroidered on it and a black beanie.
A woman with a short hairstyle wearing a black T-shirt with a woman's face printed on it, and blue jeans, smiling and making a fist gesture outdoors near a river, surrounded by green foliage.

Partners

Two chimpanzees sitting together, one with an arm around the other, in a cartoon style.
Sapo National Park logo featuring a warthog and the text 'SAPO NATIONAL PARK Est. 1983' on a green shield-shaped background with a yellow border.
Logo of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, showing a stylized green face of a person's profile with a leaf and water symbol, surrounded by a circular border with the text 'U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service' and 'Support Our Own Conservation Entrance'.
Illustration of a toucan holding a branch with a green leaf in its beak, with the words 'Rainforest Rescue' beneath it.
United States Postal Service badge with eagle emblem and text, green outline.

Donors

European Union flag with a blue background and 12 yellow stars arranged in a circle.

European Union

Neon sign reading 'This is a Real' in green and blue letters with a metallic tube on top.
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) logo featuring a handshake with stars and stripes.