Jeff Towner was the anti-poaching officer for the World Wildlife Fund’s mountain gorilla project in 1984-85 in Rwanda, East Africa. He will describe the successes of gorilla conservation work there, as well as the current conservation status of mountain gorillas. Jeff has been motivated by a love for wildlife and wilderness all his life. He earned a B.S. in Zoology from Ohio State University and an M.S. in Wildlife Biology from Michigan State University. He served in two Peace Corps programs in fisheries and national parks positions in West Africa, and later served as the anti-poaching officer for the World Wildlife Fund’s Mountain gorilla project in Rwanda, East Africa. He held several positions with the Corps of Engineers environmental analysis and regulatory programs in Chicago, Detroit, and Alaska, and as the field supervisor for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s West Virginia and North Dakota field offices. Jeff and his wife Diane moved to the U.P. because of its high quality of life and outstanding environmental values. They both enjoy camping, hiking, skiing, paddling, and wildlife observation.