Help Stop Slash and Burn Farming in the Congo

Education and community support has never been more important for the protection of the forest resources in the DR Congo. During the past few months the Okapi Conservation Project staff has distributed educational material and school supplies to nearly all of the 106 schools around the Reserve, which serve over 27,000 students, with the remaining schools scheduled to receive their supplies over the next couple of weeks. Additionally, a campaign to distribute posters illustrating the various protected animals of the region will begin next month, and target government offices, schools and clinics around the Reserve.

  
Vegetable and peanut seeds, along with tools, continue to be distributed to members of the farmers’ cooperatives in Mombassa and Nduye by our Agro-forestry Team. This has been a very successful program of education to the communities in and around the Reserve and has made a great impact on the previously wide-spread practice of slash and burn for farming.

During this period of limited security, our staff continues to implement these community assistance projects with the support of concerned individuals and institutions from around the world.

Links:

• Okapi Conservation Project
• The Epulu Story

Okapi Conservation Project staff have been very busy the past few months.  In spite of the instability of the situation in the DRC, our dedicated educators have been travelling to various communities around the Okapi Wildlife Reserve organizing seminars to students and local leaders eager to understand the dangers of deforestation and the long term benefits of conservation actions.

This fall our agroforestry team collected rice seeds that will be distributed to new members for planting in the spring.  Each farmer in the co-op gives back 50% of the seeds from their first harvest which then is shared with newly joining farmers.  A new type of bean seed which provides high levels of much-needed protein was also distributed by our agro-forestry team.

Additionally, our team members distributed indigenous fruit tree seedlings, from our Project nursery in Mambassa, to households in communities along the road through the Reserve.  These will provide much needed fruit and shade.

Support for protection of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve has never been stronger from the residents of these forest communities and this is a direct reflection of the commitment shown from individuals and institutions around the world during these past challenging months.  We are in a new era of both challenges and possibilities for this important conservation corner of the world.

Links:

• Okapi Conservation Project Link