Our work in Ethiopia reaches far beyond geladas. We work with the communities living around the SMNP along with universities, students, wildlife NGOs, and governmental agencies in Ethiopia to build sustainable solutions to conservation challenges that promote the health and well-being of people and ecosystems.

Project Zelaki (‘long-lasting’ in Amharic, one of Ethiopia’s main languages) brings together engineering, art, and ecotourism students from Arizona State University, the Addis Ababa Institute of Technology, the University of Gondar Institute of Technology, and Debark University. Our international student team is currently working to build small-scale recycling pipelines that transform plastic bottles discarded in the SMNP into value-added products whose sale can benefit local residents.

To get involved, donate, or learn more about our projects, please visit zelaki.asu.edu

Community and Conservation Work

The Simien Mountains Gelada Research Project is committed to uplifting the communities with which we work and conserving the gelada’s endangered natural habitats. We collaborate widely on community- and conservation-focused projects, and started the Save the Simiens foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to protecting the wildlife of the Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia, to help us advance our community and conservation goals.

Plastic to Profits

The Zelaki Project is working with the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority and the African Wildlife Foundation to turn plastic bottle discarded in the SMNP into products that can be sold by local residents for profit.

Community Clean-ups

Since 2017, we have partnered with the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority to lead monthly community clean-ups of the Simien Mountains National Park. With generous funding from the Beagle Charitable Foundation and private donors, we provide stipends for local communities to come together and maintain the fragile ecosystems of the park.