The Rwandan Gorilla Conservation Campus named after Ellen DeGeneres has planted a tree in memory of Stephen ‘Twitch’ Boss, who committed suicide at the age of 40 in December.
“As we celebrated the one-year anniversary of our Ellen Campus last week, we took a moment to recognize a very special person who left us too soon,” read a statement on the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund’s Ellen Campus Instagram account. . Monday.
The statement continued: ‘tWitch brought light to so many and was a wonderful friend to @ellendegeneres. In her honor we planted this tree to be forever remembered on campus.’
A silver plaque on display read: ‘In memory of Stephen “Twitch” Boss and the light he brought to the world. Planted in February 2023.’
DeGeneres, 65, began working with Boss in 2014, as a guest DJ on his talk show, eventually working her way up to co-executive producer in 2020.
DeGeneres wept in a video she uploaded to Instagram in the wake of Boss’s passing, saying she “will never understand” the beloved artist’s death.
“Everyone is suffering,” he said. “Holidays are hard I guess, anyway, but to honor tWitch, I think the best thing we can do is laugh, hug, play, dance, and sing.”
The TV personality continued: “This is how we honor him, we do the things that he loved to do, which is dance.” He loved music, he loved games, so we do that, and I know it seems difficult, it seems impossible, but that’s how we honor him.
The Latest: The Rwandan conservation campus for gorillas named after Ellen DeGeneres has planted a tree in memory of Stephen ‘Twitch’ Boss, who committed suicide at age 40 in December
DeGeneres and Boss were photographed together in 2018 on the set of Ellen’s Game of Games
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund’s Ellen Campus opened in February 2022, and DeGeneres and his wife Portia de Rossi attended a dedication ceremony in June 2022.
DeGeneres described the campus as ‘incredible’ and detailed her passion for the area and longstanding conservation causes.
“As a child, I dreamed of coming here,” DeGeneres said, adding that the late conservationist Dian Fossey was a hero to her, “and her dedication to gorillas changed the world.”
“The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund has been here for over 50 years,” he said. “Thanks to his work, the commitment of the Rwandan government and the efforts of many conservation groups here today, the mountain gorilla population has grown from 300 worldwide to more than 1,000.”
DeGeneres highlighted the multiple goals of the campus, which is located on more than 12 acres in Volcanoes National Park: “This campus is very important to gorillas, but it’s also more than that.
‘It’s teaching schoolchildren about conservation. It is educating a future generation of scientists. It is a model for others to follow, from sustainable architecture to community involvement.’
According to The Fossey Fund, construction on the campus began in 2019 and the center opened in February 2022.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text ‘STRENGTH’ to the Crisis Text Line to 741741 or visit 988lifeline.org.
DeGeneres, 65, began working with Boss in 2014, as a guest DJ on his talk show, eventually working her way up to co-executive producer in 2020.
DeGeneres and his wife Portia de Rossi were spotted in the African country of Rwanda last year for the opening of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund’s Ellen DeGeneres Campus.
de Rossi spoke at the dedication of a $15 million project The Ellen Fund worked on together with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and MASS Design Group
(L-R) Dr. Tara Stoinski, Prime Minister of Rwanda Édouard Ngirente, DeGeneres and de Rossi posed at the campus grand opening