In the Upper Guinean Forest System, a global biodiversity hotspot, Pangolins and Western Chimpanzees are in danger.
A century of habitat degradation has destroyed over 90% of the forest, which spans the western coast of Africa through Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana (USGS). The forest that remains is highly fragmented, offering inadequate habitat to native wildlife, including critically endangered Western Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) and Pangolins. The harm is driven by wildlife trade, illegal poaching, deforestation for wood products, and unsustainable agriculture. If threats to the forest continue, we will lose one of the planet’s most biologically unique and diverse ecosystems.
This is why the Liberian Youth Biodiversity Network (LYBN), a group of young conservationists located in Bonla, Liberia, is taking action to protect the remaining forest ecosystem. Their strategy focuses on providing conservation education and training in sustainable livelihood skills to increase environmental awareness and reduce threats to wildlife. In Bonla, the main threats to the ecosystem are:
- Wildlife trade,
- Illegal poaching,
- Deforestation,
- Unsustainable agriculture.
There are few opportunities for students to be involved in conservation in local schools, low community awareness of conservation, and limited sustainable livelihood alternatives. Through their activities, LYBN aims to target these issues and increase the community’s capacity for conservation.
Over the past five months, LYBN has successfully engaged more than 100 local community members in several conservation initiatives. They held workshops and radio discussions on conservation science and leadership where they discussed the importance of wildlife protection, how to sustainably manage resources, and the impacts of wildlife trade on the ecosystem’s health. In the discussions, they invited local women to become environmental leaders in their communities. Women are often managers of natural resources, such as water and wood fuel, within the household. This means that they have the potential to influence how natural resources are used and places them in the role of environmental influencers.
They also held an intergenerational storytelling event as a way to share stories and knowledge about our relationship with nature between young people and their elders. Attendees reflected on the importance of nature and its interconnectedness with human life, building deeper connections with one another and acknowledging the web of entangled life that we live in.
To help the community build capacity for sustainable livelihoods, LYBN held several 5-day workshops for 22 women and girls on skills such as beekeeping, sustainable farming, soap and shea butter production, and agro-commodity preservation. By providing the community with livelihood opportunities that promote sustainable practices, LYBN hopes to reduce reliance on activities that are harmful to the environment. They provided starter kits to help women establish their businesses, and they plan to provide ongoing mentorship and connection to markets to ensure that the businesses are successful.
LYBN is nurturing a new generation of conservation leaders. They established two conservation clubs for students at two local schools and recruited 50 students in total to become conservation ambassadors. The students will participate in community awareness activities, peer education, and will promote biodiversity protection within their communities.
Finally, LYBN held a community tree planting event. Community members gathered to plant 50 trees to restore habitat around Bonla town that had been degraded
Thank you to the Liberian Youth Biodiversity Network for their work protecting endangered species, strengthening their community, and spreading the message of conservation. We are proud to be partners with such a dedicated team of young people who are creating meaningful change.
The Deforestation of the Upper Guinean Forest | U.S. Geological Survey. (2018, May 30). https://www.usgs.gov/centers/eros/science/deforestation-upper-guinean-forest
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