Visiting Dian Fossey Once Again
It's September 4th, 2017. We were last here 32 years ago, in August of 1985. Our community in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach donated money to have Dian Fossey’s grave marker created. The US State Department helped us send it up, and Ruth Keesling from the Digit Fund helped install it.
Dian’s burial happened so quickly we weren’t able to attend. But we promised ourselves we’d come back and look at the beautiful hagenia trees and this wonderful meadow she loved, and we loved.
We came to pay our respects to the bravest woman we ever knew. I'm Evelyn Gallardo, and this is my husband. David Root. We're so happy to have finally made it.
Dian was misunderstood, but she was a great, generous, and wonderful person.
Jane Goodall has said that if it weren't for Dian Fossey, mountain gorillas probably would have become extinct at the turn of the century. The mountain gorillas were her family, her world, and her love. She gave her life for them, and we’ll never forget her. I hope every child in every school worldwide learns about Dian Fossey, her legacy, and the mountain gorillas.
When we came here in 1985, there were only 230 mountain gorillas. Now there are 890 or more. Since 2000, there have been 239 new baby mountain gorillas named at the Kwita Izina ceremony. That's more babies than of all the mountain gorillas that existed when we were here in 1985. Dian must be smiling.
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