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Forest lands are the most valuable natural resources of immediate economic importance to the rural community of Sierra Leone.
Forest resources do not only play major role in the social and economic survival, they dominate the environment as they influence
climatic change.
Unfortunately, for centuries now the forests in Sierra Leone have been mismanaged. As a consequence agricultural and food
security are being negatively affected in varieties of ways and quantity. Plant and animal life on which the population depends
are changing and so is the bio-diversity. The primary forest cover is now in the order of 5%. Forest cover has given way to
secondary bush and gradually into grasslands. Clearly this state of affairs has direct relationship with the poverty of the
population.
The forest degradation has been attributed to the indiscriminate clearing of the forest for farming; mining; exploitation
for timber; collection of bush poles for house construction and rehabilitation and uncontrolled fire which has become more
widespread of late. This situation was aggravated by the 11 year civil war. With all these factors inter-playing there is
no programme of rehabilitation that is comparable to the degree of destruction at the moment.
Under population pressure the productive capacity of the land has declined and some areas are being abandoned by farmers.
The climate which is strongly related to the degree of forest cover is changing and is consequently contributing to global
warming. In a country where about 70% of the population depends on subsistence farming, the rehabilitation of the forests
is essential for the survival of the country and consequently, to succeed in fighting against poverty.
Bring Back Our Forests (BBF) Project
SIGA has started the Bring Back our Forest (BBF) project in the Yoni Chiefdom. The overall objective of this project is to
rehabilitate forest land in the Yoni Chiefdom. The project is designed to gradually rebuild the forest resources by bringing
back to the communities lost flora and fauna. In this project, children will be the focal point of implementation. The children
will be assisted by community elders in the identification lost and extinct forestry resources in their communities; including
food crop, trees, shrubs, medicinal plants etc. The regeneration components of these resources such as seeds, seedlings, cuttings
buds etc. will be collected from all over the chiefdom and possibly country and brought back in to the localities for the
establishment of nurseries. These nurseries will be cared for by the children under the watch and guidance of the FDCs, community
elders and SIGA. A variety of activities and competitions will be organized to encourage these children to sustain this regeneration
processes. When ready, the seedlings will be transplanted in to permanent well demarcated forest block lands and taken care
of by the children and the communities.
The reforestation measures are in the medium to long term expected to stabilize the environment so as to have positive
impact on the micro-climate and on global warming. The communities will be guided to economically and sustainably exploit
the resources in their fight against poverty.
Key activities on the way are the following:
* Sensitization of the chiefdom and section communities, set up or reactivate functional Forestry Development Committees
(FDC) in all sections of the chiefdom. These committees are the overall management hub of the project. They include chiefdom
and section elders, school authorities and land owners. SIGA is represented in each of the committees.
* Sensitization and the formation of as many functional nature clubs with detail annual activity plans in schools in the
operational area. All the clubs will be registered and provided with a certificate by SIGA. They will have different names,
colors, flora and fauna as emblems for their clubs.
* Mobilization of planting materials for the establishment of community nurseries for the reforestation project. The children
and community members will be challenged and encouraged to collect seeds, seedlings and cuttings of lost and extinct plants
from within the chiefdom and the nation as a whole.
* The project will organize nature outings, camping expeditions, field visits, forestation campaigns and competition among
communities and school children; all geared towards increasing the knowledge on environmental preservation and sustainable
exploitation of community resources.
PLEASE JOIN US IN ANY WAY YOU CAN !!!!!
* Sponsor competition on reforestation, forestry education, conservation knowledge among nature clubs and school children
* Sponsor the establishment of crops nurseries for reforestation with polythene bags, planting materials, gardening tools
including watering cans, hoes, wheelbarrows. etc.
* Sponsor nature camping trips for schools and the nature clubs
* Sponsor a trip for environmental experts to visit and work with staff and school nature clubs.
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