Dear colleagues and friends,
At that time of the year when we all try to take stock of our activities for the outgoing year and make plans for the upcoming one, the Ekiti Biodiversity Survey Project (EBSP) does not exempt itself.
During the year in review, we made a total of 2089 observations, identifying 652 species with 56 members’ statistics which can be reviewed on the EBSP iNaturalist platform (Ekiti Biodiversity Survey Project, 2022). EBSP also initiated the commemoration of the World Pangolin Day in Iyin-Ekiti. A program which was hosted by the paramount ruler of Iyin-Ekiti and attended by traditional institution, political class, government officials, youth groups and the media. Due to the citizen science content of the EBSP we reached out to the 4 major tertiary institutions in Ekiti State:
• Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti
• Bamidele Olumiluwa University of Education, Ikere-Ekiti,
• Afebabalola University, Ado-Ekiti
• Federal University Oye-Ekiti
We introduced the project to their institutions and have received positive responses from 1 of the institutions. The project was successfully introduced to the Ekiti State University through a training workshop which commenced as a 45 minutes to an hour interaction with students and staff of the Department of Forestry and Wildlife, a Power Point Presentation and a brief demonstration session and field trip with the collaborative assistance of the Ekiti State Forestry Commission and the Technical Adviser to the Ekiti State Governor on Forestry Management and Climate Change. The Government of Ekiti State also sponsored the preliminary survey of selected sacred forest and groves the report which was submitted to the Chairman Ekiti State Forestry Commission for onward submission to the State Executive Governor.
During the survey, 21 towns, 28 areas (sites) in Ekiti West, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Moba, Ikere, Oye, Ijero, Ekiti-South West, Ekiti East, Ise-Orun and Ekiti West Local Government Areas were visited. After extensive discussion with the custodians and preliminary biodiversity survey of the sacred forests and groves 10 sites
- Oke-Orin in Ilawe-Ekiti
- Oke-Kirigi in Ilawe-Ekiti
- Igbo-Olosunta in Ikere-Ekiti
- Oke-Balu in Ikogosi-Ekiti
- Igbo-Riro in Iroko-Ekiti
- Esa cave/Oke Abanijorin in Iyin-Ekiti
- Igbo Ogun/Ogun assertion grove in Ire-Ekiti
- Erin Ayonigba steam in Erijiyan-Ekiti
- Herbal Heritage Park in Otun-Ekiti
Oke-Iere in Igbimo-Ekiti
were recommended to the Ekiti State Forestry Commission to be designated as Community Protected Forest (CPF), a status provided for in the 2016 Ekiti State Forestry Law. Gazetting them as such does not entail any removal of community oversight or immediate resourcing implication, but would afford them legal protection from future damage, disruption or destruction.
These recommendations were approved by the Ekiti State government and as we speak directive has been given to concerned officials of the Wildlife Unit of the Ekiti State Forestry Commission to inform the different communities of the status of their sacred forests and groves.
In moving forward we would like to successfully introduce the EBSP to the remaining tertiary institutions in the state, work with selected volunteers across the state to set up conservation clubs in some of the secondary schools across the state as well as up grade the knowledge of custodians of the designated Community Protected Forest (CPF) on modern protected area management.
The basic aim of my many activities is to help promote conservation across the globe through strengthen enforcement, reduce demand for illegally traded wildlife and expand international cooperation and commitment by investing in
Education: “A good basic education is as essential to people’s needs as clean air and water, for without it, individuals are robbed of their ability to make sound choices for their future and prosperity”. Education is the key to promoting a proper care and respect for our biodiversity. The future of our environment lies in the hand of the next generation. An old saying goes: “we do not own any land; we are merely looking after it for our children”. By making future generation aware of the pressures on the natural world we can help to decrease the destruction that our generation is only just realizing.
Promotion of citizen science: Citizen science is increasingly used as an overarching term for the many varied approaches utilising volunteers in science, from active participation in hypothesis-led science through to passive movement of sensors; from addressing highly-focused questions to educational exercises generating data of little scientific value; from using people as data collectors to participants forming the projects, assessing the data and using the information themselves.
Provision of sustainable and affordable alternative supplies of resources: Livelihood in the rural areas is intrinsically tied to the natural environment and biodiversity. Rural people depend largely on natural resources for their livelihood and unsustainable extraction of these resources is directly linked to biodiversity loss. This is because of the relationship between poverty and environmental degradation. While environmental degradation is the cause of accentuated poverty among the rural poor, poverty itself can be the cause of environmental degradation because of the reverse causality whereby a number of environmental resources are complementary in production and consumption to other goods and services, and a number of environmental resources supplement income, most especially in times of acute economic stress. It is said that one of the biggest problems to the environment is poverty because the struggle for survival often forces the poor to destroy the resources they will need in the future.
To achieve these, I would be looking for both technical and financial collaborative assistance from friends and colleagues.
Season’s greeting from all of us in the Ekiti Biodiversity Survey Project.
Yours Sincerely
Babajide Agboola (Project Coordinator EBSP)
