Copyright©2007
The Murulle Foundation
All Rights Reserved.

Updated: December 11, 2007

The Murulle Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity that is committed to conserving the balance between cultural and natural resources in sub-Saharan Africa with initial projects in Ethiopia.

Why Ethiopia?

Perhaps unparalleled in its variations, experts recognize Ethiopia to have as many as 16 different agroclimatic zones and rank it as one of the top 12 biologically diverse countries in the world. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added seven Ethiopian entries to its "World Heritage Sites" declaration.

Wildlife
An impressive array of fauna inhabit Ethiopia, including many which are endemic (only found in Ethiopia). These include:

• 31 of 277 mammals
• 16 of 861 birds
• 24 of 63 amphibians
• 9 of 210 reptiles
• 4 of 150 fish
• 7 of 324 butterflies

Ecosystems
Ethiopia's flora is very diverse with at least 1,000 of the 7,000 plant species occurring only in Ethiopia. There are 10 national parks and three wildlife sanctuaries, each known as much for their unique animal and bird life as for their rich forest types and rugged topography.

Culture
Ethiopia also has a rich cultural heritage that dates back 6,000 years. Believed by many to be the cradle of humanity, it is home to a number of extraordinary palaeo-anthropological discoveries, including the remains of 'Lucy.' Today, Ethiopia has a population of 70 million people with 83 different languages and more than 200 dialects. Christian, Islamic and tribal traditions remain strongly ingrained within the people.

Today, much of Ethiopia's flora and fauna are threatened by the country's growing human population. Nearly 90% of the people rely on agriculture and livestock grazing, which has resulted in extensive loss of forests and critical wildlife habitat. Ethiopia's government has shown concern over the severe degradation of Ethiopia's natural resources and has recently expressed support for the conservation, educational, and scientific research goals of The Murulle Foundation in Ethiopia.

What makes The Murulle Foundation unique?

Currently, there are numerous organizations dedicated to conserving Africa's rich cultural and natural resources. Why do we feel we will succeed when many larger, higher budgeted organizations have had limited success? The answer lies in three guiding principles:

1. Simplicity
2. Grassroots work
3. Long term commitment

By working on a few simple projects, we will limit how much external involvement (politics, corruption, bureaucracy, etc.) affects the proceedings of The Foundation. This will enable us to spend our time and money effectively and efficiently where it really needs to be; within the project areas and local communities.

Our goal is to protect the unique natural resources of Ethiopia by establishing projects that incorporate both scientific research and community development. TMF believes the awareness and involvement of local communities is the most important factor for successful conservation of forest and wildlife resources.

Through our partnerships with organizations such as the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Wildlife Research Center, the skills of expert ecologists, wildlife biologists, anthropologists, and political scientists are utilized for each project. We have also formed partnerships with natural resource managers in Ethiopia, from the federal and regional level to local village elders. To date, the majority of the work accomplished by The Murulle Foundation has been on a volunteer basis.