As cryptocurrency mining becomes an increasingly popular method of obtaining digital assets such as Bitcoin (BTC), one national park in eastern Congo has decided to put its natural resources to use in order to mine the flagship decentralized finance (DeFi) token.

Specifically, the leadership of Virunga National Park, which was stricken by countless misfortunes over the years, leaving it in desperate need of funding to protect its forests and wildlife, has recognized Bitcoin mining as an ideal opportunity, as MIT Technology Review’s Adam Popescu reported on January 13.

According to the report, Africa’s oldest protected park and home to endangered mountain gorillas was affected by years of militia violence and pillaging, deforestation, pandemic lockdowns, diseases, and meager government assistance, but the plan has been set in motion to use its hydroelectric power for mining Bitcoin in a bid to recover and thrive.