Educating at the grassroots level by raising awareness among the youngest children early on about the issues and challenges related to environmental preservation is the driving force behind the environmental education actions organized during the 2023-2024 school year by the NGO Conservation Justice across three provinces in the country.

Focused on the importance of preserving wildlife, protecting it, and the actions they can take at their level, these awareness sessions, adapted to the children’s ages, have instilled in the students the fundamental principles of biodiversity conservation.

The students were encouraged to become environmental ambassadors, passing on the knowledge gained during these awareness sessions to their families and communities.

Local ecosystems, endangered species, and concrete actions that everyone can take to protect our environment are the specific themes on which the discussions with the students focused. The awareness campaigns conducted as part of the wildlife brigades highlighted the importance of education and justice in conservation efforts in Gabon.

Established with the support of the Ministry of Water and Forests, backed by the NGO Conservation Justice, Rougier Gabon, Somivab, the GAW company, CEB, and the Lékédi Biodiversity Foundation, the wildlife brigades of Koumameyong, Botosso, and Ndangui aim to inform, raise awareness, provide environmental education, monitor surveillance, and combat illegal trafficking of natural resources. The Lékédi brigade began its activities in February 2024.

In addition to students, the wildlife brigades also inform local communities about the importance of wildlife conservation. Through meetings and small workshops, the awareness teams remind residents of the harmful consequences of poaching and promote environmentally friendly practices. Furthermore, legal support is provided by the NGO Conservation Justice to inform local populations about the legal aspects of human-wildlife conflicts and possible remedies, as well as to document the devastation of plantations.

The Water and Forests Administration, supported by the NGO Conservation Justice and several other local NGOs, recently finalized the new poster on fully protected species in Gabon following Decree No. 0040 Bis/PR/MEFPECCHF signed on November 2, 2023. This educational tool supports the awareness and environmental education work carried out by our teams in rural areas.

Printed in 10,000 copies by Conservation Justice, with financial support from the European Union, this new poster has been widely distributed to local communities, informing them about protected species in Gabon.

CONSERVATION ET JUSTICE