In a remarkable display of community engagement, over 300 members of the Oku community in Cameroon have come together to plant 2500 native trees in the threatened Kilum-Ijim forest reserve. The initiative, funded by the Oku Cultural and Development Association (OCDA USA), aims to promote the conservation of the forest and its endangered biodiversity under the theme “Conservation of Our Green and Natural Heritage.”
The initiative was carried out by Society for the Promotion of initiatives in Sustainable Development and Welfare (SOPISDEW) Cameroon, the Oku Traditional Authority, Rural Development & Environmental Restoration Guard (RUDERG) and several community-based organizations and initiatives. The trees planted include vulnerable species such as Prunus africana, critically endangered species such as Newtonia camerunensis, and locally threatened species such as Carapa procera.
The planting of these trees will have a significant impact on the local environment. Not only will they protect water catchments and improve bee forage for Oku white honey production, but they will also contribute to mitigating climate change by serving as a carbon sink. The project also aims to restore the home of endangered wildlife.
The community engagement in this project was impressive, with men, women, youths, and children all taking part. At the end of the activity, books and pens were distributed to pupils as a small gesture of support for the 2023 “Back-to-School” season.
We at SOPISDEW Cameroon are proud to have been a part of this initiative and are committed to ensuring its sustainability. We encourage everyone to support this initiative and others like it, so that we can continue to make a positive impact on both our local environment and the global fight against climate change.
#conservation #community #KilumForest #OCDAUSA
