Alongside the The Liberian Youth Biodiversity Network, our goal is to provide conservation education to the women of Bonla, Liberia and train them in several modalities of sustainable livelihoods including beekeeping, sustainable farming, soap and shea butter production, and agro-commodity preservation. Bonla is a high biodiversity area threatened by mining, pollution, poaching, and deforestation, mainly caused by poverty, lack of conservation education, and lack of sustainable livelihoods.
Bonla, Liberia sits just 15km (9 miles) from Mount Nimba Nature Preserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most biodiverse places in Africa. It boasts more than 300 vertebrate species (including the charming but endangered Pangolin) and over 2000 plant species. Unfortunately, the preserve and the surrounding area is threatened by mining, pollution, poaching, and deforestation, mainly caused by poverty, lack of conservation education, and lack of sustainable livelihoods.
Our goal is to provide conservation education to the women of Bonla and train them in several modalities of sustainable livelihoods including beekeeping, sustainable farming, soap and shea butter production, and agro-commodity preservation. This will reduce pressures on habitat and give families an alternative to poaching for survival. Additionally, we will train women on wildlife monitoring to report illegal hunting and threats to the forest.
Several highly endangered species live in this area, including Pangolins, Duikers, and the Western Chimpanzee. This project will directly impact their survival by slowing habitat loss, spreading knowledge about their importance, and training women to monitor their safety. The project is expected to directly benefit 60+ women through environmental education and livelihood training, with a resulting 40% reduction in illegal hunting methods.
