Those who get to know nature will take better care of it
We firmly believe in the power of nature education – especially where it is desperately needed: in places where humans and animals still coexist and nature is disappearing at a rapid pace. By involving children and communities, we lay the foundation for real, lasting change.
Those who get to know nature will take better care of it
We firmly believe in the power of nature education – especially where it is desperately needed: in places where humans and animals still coexist and nature is disappearing at a rapid pace. By involving children and communities, we lay the foundation for real, lasting change.
Small, dedicated, and impactful
We collaborate with local initiatives that we know inside out. We are in direct contact with our partners and visit the projects regularly. We know exactly where the money goes and how it is spent. No detours, just transparency and trust – from person to person.
About Rowena, founder of Go Ape Foundation
It all started at Stichting AAP in Almere. Our founder, Rowena Façee Schaeffer, has been working there every Friday as a volunteer in the chimpanzee complex since 2013 – a place where she was moved by the intelligence, vulnerability, and resilience of these animals. But also by their stories. Every animal there has a past that can be traced back to a single cause: human intervention.
Rowena soon wanted to know more. So she left for West Africa to see with her own eyes how rescue centers operated there, deep in the jungle. To help out regularly, roll up her sleeves, put on her boots to shovel waste, clean enclosures, and manage social media.
What she saw there also touched her deeply. Deforestation, the bushmeat trade, young chimpanzees who had lost their mothers, and rescue centers that have to make do with minimal resources. Yet she also saw hope: local teams working tirelessly and developing programs that look beyond just sheltering – focusing especially on education, awareness, and community support.
That is where the idea for Go Ape Foundation grew. Because she did not want to watch from the sidelines. Through Go Ape, she wants to mobilize extra help and build something lasting – something that connects, supports, and strengthens.
So Rowena founded Go Ape Foundation. To provide support from the Netherlands, raise funds, tell stories, and make people aware of what is happening – and what we can do together. With her laptop and her boots, she commits herself every day. For a better world, because time is running out. Nature, the local population, and the chimpanzees deserve better.
Experienced chimpanzee protector and communication expert, at home and abroad
Rowena’s life is dedicated to improving the welfare of chimpanzees. Every week, she can be found volunteering at Stichting AAP in the chimpanzee complex. This is where her fascination for chimpanzees began and where she received intensive training. About twice a year, she works as a communication and project manager in small-scale great ape rescue centers, currently mostly in Africa. For both these rescue centers and the Go Ape Foundation she founded, she manages social media daily and organizes fundraising and email campaigns.
Education and conservation projects are of great importance
Caring for chimpanzees in need is wonderful and meaningful work. But to better protect wild animals, it is primarily important that we preserve their habitat. Education and outreach therefore play a major role at Go Ape Foundation, particularly in countries where chimpanzees live.
For example, we support initiatives that offer communities in Africa alternative livelihoods. As a result, they are less dependent on bushmeat and deforestation. We also contribute to the appointment and training of eco-guards, who help prevent deforestation and monitor animals in the wild.
We believe it is extremely important to support programs that increase awareness of nature in schools. Students learn skills to tackle the environmental problems of the future.
Education and conservation projects are of great importance
Caring for chimpanzees in need is wonderful and meaningful work. But to better protect chimpanzees, it is primarily important that we preserve the animals living in the wild and their habitat. Education and outreach therefore play a major role at Go Ape Foundation, particularly in countries where chimpanzees live.
For example, we support initiatives that offer communities in Africa alternative livelihoods, thereby reducing dependence on bushmeat and deforestation, and the training and appointment of eco-guards involved in forest protection and wildlife monitoring. And of course, we support programs to increase environmental awareness in schools and teach students the skills to face the environmental challenges of the future.
Go Ape Foundation protects chimpanzees and their habitat
‘Chimpanzees are the victims of human actions. They are killed for their meat (bushmeat), young chimpanzees are sold as pets, and their habitat is disappearing. The problems are enormous, but I firmly believe that even small bits make a difference. So I roll up my sleeves: after what I have seen, I could not do otherwise.’ – Rowena Facee Schaeffer, founder of Go Ape Foundation.
Animals in need find a safe place in the rescue centers that Go Ape Foundation collaborates with. Programs for increasing the awareness of the local population and projects for nature conservation are at least as important. We support these projects and the care of chimpanzees financially and are closely involved in policy-making.
