Help Protect Critical Rainforest in Liberia

The civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone caused massive amounts of destruction to the region, leaving many villages abandoned and critical habitat destroyed. Although the war ended in 2002, many areas are still in recovery. One of these is Liberia’s Upper Guinea Forest Hotspot.

Despite the scientific value of its ecosystem, nearly 70 % of the Upper Guinea Forest has disappeared, and the rest is highly fragmented. The historical damage to this region, paired with increasing pressure from deforestation and unsustainable resource use has made the remaining forest a globally recognized top conservation priority.

The local communities are among the most vulnerable in the country. Their remote location has left them with restricted access to education, health and agricultural support, forcing them to rely heavily on natural resources.

Rainforest Trust and our local partner, The Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL), have been working with local clans to protect this imperiled ecosystem through the creation of Community Forests.

Stop commercial hunting

Commercial hunting for the bushmeat trade is the biggest threat to the most unique species in the region, including the Chimpanzee (EN), Pygmy Hippopotamus (EN), Upper Guinea Red Colobus (EN), White-bellied Pangolin (EN) Giant Ground Pangolin (EN), and Black-bellied Pangolin (VU).

In addition, the potential project site contains part of the largest remnant of the Upper Guinea Forest Biodiversity Hotspot and Ecoregion. In total, the region is also home to over 300 bird species, at least 31 fish species, 600 butterfly species and 43 amphibian species that will be protected in perpetuity.

Empower local communities

The Community Forests, spanning 318,520 acres, will empower local people to preserve their land and seek alternative livelihoods. They will also expand Liberia’s protected area network by linking to Gola Forest National Park, which Rainforest Trust helped SCNL establish in 2016.

Your support will help our partner work with local communities to develop sustainable land-use plans, ensuring the protection of this critical rainforest habitat and its species. They will eventually be able to use their successful model from this effort to expand this project in the future.