Mt Cameroon National Park: Voice of Nature offers endangered tree species to residents around area.

Officials of VoNaT used the day to distribute the seedlings of valuable but threatened species such as Mahogany and Prunus africana to youth groups, women, and community leaders in Bwitingi, CEAC, and Bokova. 

In addition to the seedlings, the organisation also sensitised the beneficiaries on the ecological, medicinal and economic importance of the different tree species. 

The Executive Director of Voice of Nature, Ndimuh Bertrand Shancho, expressed frustration that the tree species are overexploited for furniture production and traditional medicine.

The situation, he said, has led to severe depletion in their natural habitats.  He said VoNat’s domestication initiative aims to curb the pressure on wild populations inside the national park to secure the long-term survival of the species outside protected areas.

Ndimuh said VoNat uses such initiatives to strengthen forest conservation, empower local communities, and contribute to the restoration of Cameroon’s rich but threatened biodiversity in all spheres.

The distribution of seedlings, he said, forms part of a larger project supported by the New England Biolabs Foundation. Ndimuh said there are plans underway to expand the scheme other communities including Bonakanda and Bova in the coming weeks. 

To enhance sustainability, VoNat, Ndimuh further explained that VoNat has also established a follow-up mechanism to monitor the growth and care of the planted trees in beneficiary communities.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3519 of Wednesday July 30, 2025