representatives of SCNL, including Alexander Peal and Dr. Philip Robinson, a zoologist at the University of California, San Diego,
visited Sapo National Park in 1997- only months removed from the ceasefire that ended the first Liberian civil war- they found a forest
in ruins.
Over the course of the conflict, many of the gains SCNL had made in establishing Sapo as a protected ecosystem had been undone. Three of the conservation staff assigned to the park had been killed, and the facilities constructed through international funding had been destroyed or scavenged for parts. It would be a daunting task to rebuild and safeguard the park, but the survey team were struck by one hidden blessing from the conflict around them. As government interests and businesses were swept up in the fighting, the park- though it had been occupied and ravaged in many ways- had been largely ignored by loggers. The wholesale destruction of rainforests had long been the scourge of Liberia, as corrupt government officials and local citizens desperate for income worked alongside unscrupulous international companies to systematically fell much of the nation's forest reserves. Though Sapo had been protected during the civil war, there was no gaurantee it would be protected after. The threat of logging, mining, poaching, and squatting were all, suddenly, waiting to confront SCNL.
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Liberia's Forest Future
The most recent surveys of Liberia's forest cover report that the nation has retained 33% of its forests, of which nearly 5% is considered primary, a classification used by scientists to refer to forests with maximum biodiversity.
As lowland rainforest recedes throughout West Africa, preventive measures are needed.
Nevertheless, Sapo National Park remains the country's only protected ecological park, and the threats of the past- environmental degradation and economic stagnation- threaten the survival of the remaining ecosystem. Despite its incredible potential for ecotourism, sustainable harvesting, and carbon emission offsets, Liberia's ecosystem continues to be under threat.
Logging remains a major threat to Liberia's fragile forest system.
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How SCNL Helps
As Liberia's only nongovernmental conservation organization, SCNL shoulders a huge responsibility to the people of Liberia. First and foremost, SCNL believes that people themselves are the key to changing Liberia's violent past into a sustainable present. By working closely with communities whose livelihoods are dependent upon the survival of Liberia's natural resources, SCNL is slowly changing attitudes, opening minds, and teaching the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem health. SCNL has found, time and again, that communities and peoples who understand the need to protect their environment are less likely to open up their lands and let their trees be cut and their water polluted. On an institutional level, SCNL is actively involved in guiding many of the new agencies of the Liberian government towards policies of accountability and wise land use. Through these activities and through their support of protected ecosystem areas within the nation, SCNL is creating a new culture of environmental understanding, where Liberia's rich ecosystem is seen as a source of economic, educational, and cultural prosperity.
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Education
Outside of major urban centers, the majority of Liberia's rural population lives on the borders of rainforests. Coming into contact and depending upon the forests on a daily basis, these citizens are the first line of defense against ecosystem collapse. Likewise, motivated urban citizens can understand the demand their own lifestyles have on their nation's environment and help quench the demand for illegal timber and bushmeat. Together, these two groups form the cornerstone of the Liberian conservation movement, and SCNL works closely with both groups to implement educational strategies designed to raise awareness of Liberia's vulnerable environment.
Education programs must often be tailored to the needs of a mobile, refugee population. (IRIN)
In the past five years, SCNL has been active in promoting a protected wildlife campaign in the capital city Monrovia, as well as in rural communities. As Liberian populations shift due to forced migration for employment or to escape local violence, SCNL has been careful to make sure their messages reach a fluid audience. Through billboard, bumper sticker, and poster campaigns, as well as radio and television programs on local media, SCNL uses the tools of modern communication to reach out to audiences with a message of conservation and responsible resource use.
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Legislation
Born out of the need for a nongovernmental presence dedicated to conservation efforts in Liberia, SCNL has, from the very beginning, worked hand-in-hand with the Liberian government to push for comprehensive reform and legislation. Alongside their international partners, SCNL and the Liberian national government have been succesful in drafting several pieces of important legislation that put Liberia at the forefront of environmental awareness in West Africa.
Liberian government ministers sign a United Nations treaty. (UN)
Most recently, SCNL's support was critical for the passage of legislation that expanded the borders of Sapo National Park, and was likewise called upon for the creation of the Nimba Nature Reserve at the borders of Liberia, Guineau, and Cote d'Ivoire. SCNL has also provided consultancy to the national government in the creation of the Forestry Development Authority and the enactment of new policies governing legal logging operations in the country. SCNL also serves as the primary advisor to the Liberian government concerning the development, protection, and supervision of the Sapo National Park.
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Conservation
As Liberia's primary conservation watchdog group, SCNL works closely with local communities bordering the Sapo National Park to promote sustainable agriculture, end the bushmeat trade, and encourage resource conservation. Supplying these rural communities with much-needed education and equipment to work and live sustainably off the land, SCNL also ensures that community members value and respect the importance of Sapo National Park to the Liberian people. Partnerships with the indigenous Sapo people, for example, have led to breakthroughs in research on the common chimpanzee, which is considered a sacred animal in their culture.
SCNL monitors pygmy hippo habitats within Sapo National Park. (Cliff)
Additionally, within Sapo, SCNL members, international researchers, and Liberian government biologists conduct important survey work to determine the healthiness of the park ecosystem. Among the most prized species that calls Sapo home is the pygmy hippopotamus, a shy, reclusive animal found in few other habitats around the world. As one of Liberia's national symbols, the protection of the pygmy hippo is an important milestone in Liberian conservation.
Over the course of the conflict, many of the gains SCNL had made in establishing Sapo as a protected ecosystem had been undone. Three of the conservation staff assigned to the park had been killed, and the facilities constructed through international funding had been destroyed or scavenged for parts. It would be a daunting task to rebuild and safeguard the park, but the survey team were struck by one hidden blessing from the conflict around them. As government interests and businesses were swept up in the fighting, the park- though it had been occupied and ravaged in many ways- had been largely ignored by loggers. The wholesale destruction of rainforests had long been the scourge of Liberia, as corrupt government officials and local citizens desperate for income worked alongside unscrupulous international companies to systematically fell much of the nation's forest reserves. Though Sapo had been protected during the civil war, there was no gaurantee it would be protected after. The threat of logging, mining, poaching, and squatting were all, suddenly, waiting to confront SCNL.
The most recent surveys of Liberia's forest cover report that the nation has retained 33% of its forests, of which nearly 5% is considered primary, a classification used by scientists to refer to forests with maximum biodiversity.
Nevertheless, Sapo National Park remains the country's only protected ecological park, and the threats of the past- environmental degradation and economic stagnation- threaten the survival of the remaining ecosystem. Despite its incredible potential for ecotourism, sustainable harvesting, and carbon emission offsets, Liberia's ecosystem continues to be under threat.
As Liberia's only nongovernmental conservation organization, SCNL shoulders a huge responsibility to the people of Liberia. First and foremost, SCNL believes that people themselves are the key to changing Liberia's violent past into a sustainable present. By working closely with communities whose livelihoods are dependent upon the survival of Liberia's natural resources, SCNL is slowly changing attitudes, opening minds, and teaching the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem health. SCNL has found, time and again, that communities and peoples who understand the need to protect their environment are less likely to open up their lands and let their trees be cut and their water polluted. On an institutional level, SCNL is actively involved in guiding many of the new agencies of the Liberian government towards policies of accountability and wise land use. Through these activities and through their support of protected ecosystem areas within the nation, SCNL is creating a new culture of environmental understanding, where Liberia's rich ecosystem is seen as a source of economic, educational, and cultural prosperity.
Outside of major urban centers, the majority of Liberia's rural population lives on the borders of rainforests. Coming into contact and depending upon the forests on a daily basis, these citizens are the first line of defense against ecosystem collapse. Likewise, motivated urban citizens can understand the demand their own lifestyles have on their nation's environment and help quench the demand for illegal timber and bushmeat. Together, these two groups form the cornerstone of the Liberian conservation movement, and SCNL works closely with both groups to implement educational strategies designed to raise awareness of Liberia's vulnerable environment.
In the past five years, SCNL has been active in promoting a protected wildlife campaign in the capital city Monrovia, as well as in rural communities. As Liberian populations shift due to forced migration for employment or to escape local violence, SCNL has been careful to make sure their messages reach a fluid audience. Through billboard, bumper sticker, and poster campaigns, as well as radio and television programs on local media, SCNL uses the tools of modern communication to reach out to audiences with a message of conservation and responsible resource use.
Born out of the need for a nongovernmental presence dedicated to conservation efforts in Liberia, SCNL has, from the very beginning, worked hand-in-hand with the Liberian government to push for comprehensive reform and legislation. Alongside their international partners, SCNL and the Liberian national government have been succesful in drafting several pieces of important legislation that put Liberia at the forefront of environmental awareness in West Africa.
Most recently, SCNL's support was critical for the passage of legislation that expanded the borders of Sapo National Park, and was likewise called upon for the creation of the Nimba Nature Reserve at the borders of Liberia, Guineau, and Cote d'Ivoire. SCNL has also provided consultancy to the national government in the creation of the Forestry Development Authority and the enactment of new policies governing legal logging operations in the country. SCNL also serves as the primary advisor to the Liberian government concerning the development, protection, and supervision of the Sapo National Park.
As Liberia's primary conservation watchdog group, SCNL works closely with local communities bordering the Sapo National Park to promote sustainable agriculture, end the bushmeat trade, and encourage resource conservation. Supplying these rural communities with much-needed education and equipment to work and live sustainably off the land, SCNL also ensures that community members value and respect the importance of Sapo National Park to the Liberian people. Partnerships with the indigenous Sapo people, for example, have led to breakthroughs in research on the common chimpanzee, which is considered a sacred animal in their culture.
Additionally, within Sapo, SCNL members, international researchers, and Liberian government biologists conduct important survey work to determine the healthiness of the park ecosystem. Among the most prized species that calls Sapo home is the pygmy hippopotamus, a shy, reclusive animal found in few other habitats around the world. As one of Liberia's national symbols, the protection of the pygmy hippo is an important milestone in Liberian conservation.
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