Great Apes Conservation Zeal Stirred Up In Over 50 Community Kids Within Mount Cameroon Area

Some 51 community kids and youths have expressed fresh zeal to get engaged in conserving the great ape of the Mount Cameroon National Park and other endangered biodiversity species within this protected area.  They expressed their willingness to take actions for the conservation of these species after seating through a conservation education session focused on “Great Ape and other Endangered Wildlife of Mount the Mount Cameroon Area; threats, Importance and Conservation Role of Community Kids and Youths”, January 26, 2022 in GHS Buea Rural Bokova.

The conservation education session was organized by Voice of Nature (VoNat) as part of the project; Conserving Endangered Ape of Mount Cameroon with Community Kids funded by New England Biolabs Foundation with additional support from Idea Wild.

Mary Namondo from Bokova village, like many other kids, was determined to educate her parents and friends against hunting endangered species.  “I am very happy VoNat came to our school, and we have learn a lot of things. VoNat sensitized us on so many things about nature and I am going to take this back home. I am going to sensitize my parents, friends and all those going to the bush to hunt endangered species so that the species don’t go into extinction,” she said.

Pieres Nakah from Bwiting village said the conservation education session changed her mind set about hunting. “In our village, when they hear that you are going to the forest to hunt, they will be proud of you that that you are a great man. I did not know that it was a bad practice or something that can affect us in the future given that they play a vital role in sustaining the ecosystem,” she expounded.

The project Conserving Endangered Ape of Mount Cameroon with Community kids seeks to boost the interest of the youngsters and engage them in ape and other endangered wildlife species conservation while preserving pro-conservation traditional knowledge. It started in November 2021 with the selection of some 50 community kids & youths between 7 and 18 years in communities within the Mount Cameroon Area. The youngsters will in the days ahead be engaged in some learning sessions on the production of conservation poems, articles, stories, music and others. Other activities to be carried out with the children include a visit to the Mount Cameroon National Park for biomonitoring, a visit communities to gather local conservation knowledge about plants and animal species, and the production of conservation poems, music, video reports, articles, magazine etc. with the kids.

It is hoped that through these, the youngsters will be reconnected to nature, and their appetite to take action against the depletion of endangered species in their communities will be triggered. Meanwhile, pro-conservation traditional knowledge will be preserved and handed down from generation to generation, and the success of other conservation programmes in the Mount Cameroon Area enhanced.