Legal and Ecological Opportunities

Cameroon’s Forestry Law of 2024 empowers local communities to sustainably manage forest resources, linking improved livelihoods with biodiversity conservation. In this context, we have been supporting the establishment of community forests in the Deng Deng National Park – Dja Faunal Reserve corridor, a critical landscape for wildlife connectivity.

This corridor is a vital pathway for great apes, forest elephants, and other endangered species, yet it faces growing threats from habitat fragmentation and expanding subsistence agriculture. Our community forest projects are designed to protect these species while providing local communities with sustainable economic opportunities.

Communities United Around Conservation

The launch events for these community forests have brought together residents, neighboring village leaders, local authorities, and media representatives, reflecting strong local ownership. Communities have committed to:

• Collaborating with ACF, ERuDeF, and forestry authorities to establish and manage community forests
• Protecting endangered wildlife while exploring eco-tourism opportunities
• Developing value chains and sustainable livelihoods to generate long-term income
• Ensuring inclusive participation of men, women, and youth in forest management
• Supporting the creation of community trust funds to secure sustainable financing for conservation in the corridor

Building Trust on the Ground

Prior to formal launches, our teams conducted field visits to engage with communities, finalize logistics, and ensure local commitment. Leaders expressed gratitude for the long-term support and reaffirmed their eagerness to see the projects succeed.

Looking Ahead

These community forest initiatives are more than forest protection—they are pathways to local development, environmental stewardship, and wildlife conservation. With the continued support of donors and partners, ACF will continue helping communities develop sustainable livelihoods while safeguarding forest elephants, great apes, and other threatened species in this critical rainforest corridor.

The post Advancing Community-Led Conservation in the Deng Deng–Dja Rainforest Corridor appeared first on African Conservation Foundation.

Through this partnership, ACF will have a global platform to showcase its work and educate people about the plight of endangered animal species in Africa. Ecoflix, which produces and presents inspiring and uplifting videos about animals and the planet, with no commercials of any kind, offers ACF a unique opportunity to raise funds needed to carry out its missions and programs.

Ecoflix

Ecoflix is the first non-profit streaming platform dedicated to saving animals & the planet. It has a focus on promoting awareness and action for animal conservation and environmental restoration. By providing educational content and inspiring viewers to take meaningful actions, Ecoflix aims to contribute to the preservation of the planet and its wildlife.

Founded to help support its partner NGOs, Ecoflix offers an annual subscription of $3.99 a month, which is tax-deductible in the U.S. and qualified for Gift Aid in the U.K. When supporters subscribe for a year and select ACF as their chosen NGO, Ecoflix will donate 100% of the subscription dollars to our programmes.

By subscribing to Ecoflix and selecting ACF as the chosen NGO, supporters can help ACF secure donations of significant size that are hard to secure but extremely important to ACF’s mission. With financial support, ACF will have a much greater ability to save many animals in need of help.

You are one click away from making a difference!

Join Ecoflix today by simply clicking on this link: https://ngo.ecoflix.com/african-conservation-foundation/

When you join, you will receive an email with a link. Choose African Conservation Foundation and Ecoflix will donate 100% of your subscription fee to us on your behalf.

Ecoflix is also free to schools, offering an entire series of shows to educate and inspire “Ecokids.”

By joining Ecoflix and supporting ACF, people can make a difference in the conservation of Africa’s most endangered species while enjoying amazing and beautiful programming about animals and the planet from around the world.

The post Ecoflix Partners with African Conservation Foundation to Save Endangered Species appeared first on African Conservation Foundation.

World Wildlife Day celebrates the beauty, richness, diversity and the contribution that wild animals and plants make to our world and our lives. It serves to ‘celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants’. It highlights the intrinsic value of wildlife and its various contributions, including its ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic contributions to sustainable development and human wellbeing.

This year’s theme recognises that all successful conservation actions depend upon cooperation. No government or organization, including the United Nations, can tackle the issue without collaboration and sharing of experience and expertise. So, the theme this year is ‘Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation’.

As we celebrate World Wildlife Day, it is important to recognise the organisations and individuals who are doing critical work to protect wildlife and their habitats, and to ensure that local communities benefit from conservation efforts. The African Conservation Foundation (ACF) has been working in Africa for over 20 years to develop local capacity for conservation and ecosystem restoration, including sustainable livelihoods for communities.

Conservation Successes

In the past 24 years, the ACF has been working on various conservation projects with partners across Africa. One such partnership, with the Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF), has developed the Cross River gorilla conservation programme in Cameroon.

The Cross River gorilla is one of the most endangered primates in the world, with only an estimated 200-300 individuals remaining in the wild. The gorillas live in the rugged terrain of the highlands, an area that has been threatened by deforestation, illegal logging, and hunting.

The ACF, in collaboration with ERuDeF and communities, has been working to protect the gorillas and their habitat by developing alternative livelihoods for local communities. By developing sustainable agriculture practices, eco-tourism initiatives, and other income-generating activities, the ACF has been able to reduce the pressure on the forest and reduce the need for hunting and logging.

The ACF has also been working with local communities to monitor and protect the gorillas, including training community members to conduct gorilla surveys and patrols to prevent poaching and other illegal activities. In addition, the ACF has been working with the government of Cameroon to strengthen protected area management, and to ensure that reserves are effectively managed and protected for future generations.

The success of the Cross River gorilla programme is proof to the importance of engaging local communities in conservation efforts, and to the critical role that conservation partnerships play in protecting wildlife and their habitats. Training and knowledge transfer is vital to develop local capacity.

As we celebrate World Wildlife Day, it is important to recognise the ongoing threats facing our planet’s wildlife and the critical need for action to protect them. This reminds us that we all have a role to play in protecting our planet’s biodiversity, and that by working together, we can create a sustainable future for all.

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Photo: David Clode / Unsplash

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Humans impact the physical environment in many ways: logging, poaching, overexploitation and deforestation linked with forest to farm conversion. Changes like these have triggered habitat loss, climate change, soil erosion and landslides. Animal species are disappearing at such unprecedented rate that scientists have labelled the current era ‘Earth’s sixth mass extinction’. In south west Cameroon, one of the most diverse areas in Africa, we are witnessing dramatic population declines and local extinctions of charismatic animals such as Cross River gorillas, chimpanzees and forest elephants.

To preserve biodiversity in south west Cameroon we need methods effective in monitoring animal population status, thus allowing the development of conservation strategies. This is particularly urgent during this period of multiple crises, such as the corona crisis and Anglophone crisis. Since 2017, there is a conflict in the south west regions of Cameroon, part of the long-standing Anglophone problem.

Instead of researchers setting out camera-traps in the rainforest, local Community Rangers are being trained and employed to carry out activities. 30 Community Rangers from several villages have been equipped with camera-traps and GPS units. The Community Rangers have been selected by the Forest Village Committees themselves.

Training sessions were organised by the African Conservation Foundation and its local partner Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF). Team members explained camtrap research and handling procedures. The basic camera trap anatomy was explained and each participant was getting familiar with battery and memory card placement. The training included a presentation on the objectives of camera trapping, choosing a suitable location for the camera trap, camera trap set-up, camera location, camera spacing in the field, camera trap height, distance of camera trap to animal trail, vegetation clearing around camera trap.

Also, research procedures, the monitoring intervals and checking camera‐traps and data exchange were explained. The training included the hands-on testing and demonstrating the new knowledge in the field.

Each image captures a moment frozen in time as the animals move through their wild habitat. We are using the camera trap data to collect information about population status and to address conservation issues, creating solutions that allow humans and wild animals to coexist in the same areas.

The programme has captured some incredible wildlife so far, including Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees, red river hogs, squirrels and small antelopes. Red river hogs are a wild member of the pig family living in Africa, with most of its distribution in the Guinean and Congolian rainforests. The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee is recognised as the most threatened and least distributed of all the chimpanzee subspecies, and without successful conservation actions, there is a high risk of extinction in the coming decades.

The elusive and critically endangered Cross River gorillas share the same habitat as the chimpanzees. Currently only 2050-300 individuals survive in subpopulations across the Nigerian and Cameroonian border region. They inhabit inaccessible areas such as the steep slopes of the Lebialem highlands.

By maintaining a presence in wildlife conservation through Community Rangers, it was possible to continue monitoring wildlife populations and rainforest habitat, with some challenges and delays as the situation allowed. The projects partners currently work across all the areas they worked in prior to the Anglophone crisis, which also allows us to assist displaced people.

Our Community Camera Trapping activities have been highly successful, directly engaging and training Community Rangers in wildlife monitoring in protected areas and Community Forests, while connecting conservation efforts with community development goals. The programme supports self-governance and local capacity building. With your help, we will be able to expand this programme to other communities and protected areas in west central Africa. Donate now or visit our project website for more information.

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Led by the UN’s Environment Programme (UNEP)and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Decade commits to the protection, conservation, and revitalization of ecosystems worldwide. Only with healthy ecosystems can we achieve global development goals, improve people’s livelihoods, reduce climate risks, and halt de loss of biodiversity.

The wildlife of sub-Saharan Africa faces unprecedented level of threats from loss and fragmentation of habitat, poaching, hunting, climate change, and population growth to name but some. There has been a steep generational decline to a vast number of species of fauna and flora, and the IUCN Red List demonstrates that many are vulnerable to extinction, including some of the continent’s most iconic species.

Large conservation organisations have an important role to play, but saving Africa’s wildlife can and will only happen if a robust network of well-functioning local organisations are working deeply within local communities.

Currently, however, there is a significant lack of local organisations with adequate capacity, skills, resources and funding – ACF exists to tackle this core problem.

As a Restoration Implementation partner, ACF will strengthen local capacities and lead restoration efforts through its landscape approaches – integrating biodiversity conservation, rural development and carbon sequestration through bottom-up, community-led projects.

Ecosystem restoration is increasingly seen as an immediate and effective way of tackling biodiversity loss and climate change at the same time. In the next decade, ACF will increase its efforts to promote and accelerate the restoration of savanna, rainforest, wetland and other landscapes in Africa, focusing on key biodiversity areas and ecological corridors.

With the support of our sponsors, partners and donors, ACF is proud to contribute to the Decade as a Restoration Actor. To support our ecosystem restoration work, please consider donating to ACF.

Learn more about the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration:

• Visit the Decade’s website
• Strategy
• Browse physical and virtual events
• Play a game, restore the planet

Photo: Antony Trivet (Scopio)

The post The African Conservation Foundation becomes Actor for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration appeared first on African Conservation Foundation.

LONDON, England, 17^th September 2021: The Earthshot Prize announces today its first- ever shortlist of 15 Finalists, each with a chance of winning £1million to support their innovative environmental solutions to the greatest challenges facing the planet.

Prince William said: “Over half a century ago, President Kennedy’s ‘Moonshot’ programme united millions of people around the goal of reaching the moon. Inspired by this, The Earthshot Prize aims to mobilise collective action around our unique ability to innovate, problem solve and repair our planet.

“I am honoured to introduce the 15 innovators, leaders, and visionaries who are the first ever Finalists for The Earthshot Prize. They are working with the urgency required in this decisive decade for life on Earth and will inspire all of us with their optimism in our ability to rise to the greatest challenges in human history.”

Launched by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in October 2020, The Earthshot Prize is the most prestigious global environment prize in history. Like President John F. Kennedy’s ‘Moonshot’ did almost 60 years ago, the Prize aims to unleash an unprecedented wave of innovation and leadership to tackle the challenges posed by climate change and the threats to our oceans, air, and land.

The Prize is an urgent call to action to the world and aims to turn the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism, by championing inspiring leadership and helping to scale incredible cutting-edge solutions. It will discover 50 winners over 10 years with the power to repair the planet.

A truly global project, The Earthshot Prize has been developed by The Royal Foundation, which convened a diverse nominator coalition of more than 200 people and organisations around the world from every continent, a distinguished Expert Advisory Panel, and The

Earthshot Prize Council comprising influential individuals committed to championing positive environmental action.

Five of these 15 Finalists announced today will be awarded The Earthshot Prize and will win

£1million in Prize funding for the best solutions of the five Earthshot goals: Protect and Restore Nature; Clean our Air; Revive our Oceans; Build a Waste-free World; and Fix our Climate. The Winners will be announced during an awards ceremony on 17th October from London’s Alexandra Palace, broadcast in the UK on BBC One and globally on Discovery.

The inaugural 15 Finalists were assessed by the Expert Advisory Panel of scientific, academic, and subject-matter leaders. Each of the Finalist’s solutions excelled in the rigorous screening process and were assessed on their potential to create game-changing impact around the world, their ability to help us reach our Earthshot goals while also positively impacting people, communities and the natural world.

The Earthshot Prize Finalists for 2021 are:

Protect and Restore Nature:

• Pole Pole Foundation, Democratic Republic of Congo

An inspiring community-led model of conservation that protects gorillas and local livelihoods.

• The Republic of Costa Rica

A pioneering scheme paying local citizens to restore natural ecosystems that has led to a revival of the rainforest.

• Restor, Switzerland

A ground-breaking online platform connecting and empowering local conservation projects.

Clean our Air:

• The Blue Map App, China

China’s first public environmental database enabling citizens to hold polluters to account.

• Takachar, India

A pioneering technology to create profitable products from agricultural waste and put a stop to the burning of crops.

• Vinisha Umashankar, India

A 14-year-old innovator and activist who has designed a solar-powered ironing cart with the potential to improve air quality across India.

Revive our Oceans:

• Coral Vita, Bahamas

A truly cutting-edge breakthrough in coral farming that can restore our world’s dying coral reefs.

• Living Seawalls, Australia

Innovative and replicable seawall panels bringing marine life back to coastal sea defences.

• Pristine Seas, USA 

An unprecedented global conservation programme protecting 6.5 million square km of the world’s ocean.

Build a Waste-Free World:

• The City of Milan Food Waste Hubs, Italy

A city-wide initiative that has dramatically cut waste while tackling hunger.

• Sanergy, Kenya

A circular sanitation solution that converts human waste into safe products for local farmers.

• WOTA BOX, Japan

A tiny water treatment plant that turns 98% of wastewater into clean water.

Fix our Climate:

• AEM Electrolyser, Thailand/Germany/Italy

An ingenious green hydrogen technology developed to transform how we power our homes and buildings.

• Reeddi Capsules, Nigeria

Solar-powered energy capsules making electricity affordable and accessible in energy-poor communities.

• SOLbazaar, Bangladesh

The world’s first peer-to-peer energy exchange network in a country on the front-line of climate change.

All 15 Finalists will receive tailored support and resources from The Earthshot Prize Global Alliance Members, an unprecedented network of private sector businesses around the world who will help scale their solutions to realise an even greater impact with their ground-breaking work.

Selection process

The search for our inaugural Finalists began in November 2020, when nominations opened and were submitted by over 200 official Earthshot Prize Nominators from every region of the world. These Nominators were selected for their experience in environmental research, policy, advocacy and grassroots action, as well as their global networks with individuals, teams and organisations who are leading on solutions to these environmental challenges.

Over 750 nominations – far more than anticipated for The Earthshot Prize’s first year – were screened as part of an independent assessment process run by Deloitte, the Prize’s implementation partner, who ensured that all nominations were assessed fairly and thoroughly, by an experienced sustainability team. Longlisted nominations were then assessed by a global Expert Advisory Panel – a crucial stage in the selection process that adds a further layer of independence and rigour, bringing together expertise from science, conservation, innovation, investment, economics, politics, communications and activism.

Of these 15 Finalists, the five Winners will be selected by The Earthshot Prize Council, a diverse team of influential individuals which includes: HRH Prince William, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Sir David Attenborough, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Indra Nooyi, Shakira Mebarak, Christiana Figueres, Luisa Neubauer, Cate Blanchett, Yao Ming, Daniel Alves Da Silva, Ernest Gibson, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Jack Ma, and Naoko Yamazaki.

In the run-up to the prize-giving ceremony on 17 October, BBC and Discovery will release a 5-part documentary series THE EARTHSHOT PRIZE: REPAIRING OUR PLANET, led by Prince William, founder of The Earthshot Prize, and featuring Earthshot Prize Council Members including Shakira Mebarak, Daniel Alves and Sir David Attenborough. This landmark series will highlight what we have to do to save our planet, tell the inspiring stories of people around the world already doing just that, and introduce us to the Finalists for this year’s Earthshot Prize.

Source: Earthshot Prize
Featured image: Benjamín Gremler/Scopio

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ACF has been selected as a nominator for the Earthshot Prize. Recently launched by Prince William, the Earthshot Prize is the most ambitious and prestigious of its kind – designed to incentivise change and help to repair our planet over the next ten years.

The Earthshot Prize aims to find new solutions that work on every level, have a positive effect on environmental change and improve living standards globally, particularly for communities who are most at risk from climate change.

Five 1 million-pound prizes will be awarded each year for the next ten years, providing at least 50 solutions to the world’s greatest environmental problems by 2030.

These Earthshots are intended as “universal goals to repair our planet by 2030” and will go to the most effective and innovative ideas to help:

• Protect and Restore Nature
• Clean our Air
• Revive our Oceans
• Build a Waste-Free World
• Fix our Climate

Together, they form a unique set of challenges, which aim to generate new ways of thinking, and a whole new set of solution, systems, policies and scalable, reliable applications.

By bringing these five critical issues together, The Earthshot Prize recognises the interconnectivity between environmental challenges and the urgent need to tackle them together.

Prizes could be awarded to a wide range of individuals, teams or collaborations – scientists, activists, economists, community projects, leaders, governments, banks, businesses, cities, and even countries – anyone whose evidence-based solutions makes a substantial contribution to achieving the Earthshots.

We all might just hold the key to solving an environmental problem. This is why Prince William and Sir David Attenborough are are encouraging everyone to apply if they have got an idea that could help.

“We are extremely proud to be a Global Alliance Partner and to work together with The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and many others around the world to find solutions for global problems”, said ACF Director Arend de Haas. “The Earthshot Prize is a unique opportunity to boost emerging, regenerative solutions during the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.”

Do you have any ideas or suggestions for nominations? Please feel free to contact us at info@africanconservation.org

For more information, please visit:
https://earthshotprize.org

“The Earth is at a tipping point and we face a stark choice: either we continue as we are and irreparably damage our planet, or we remember our unique power as human beings and our continual ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve. People can achieve great things. The next ten years present us with one of our greatest tests – a decade of action to repair the Earth.”

Prince William, HRH The Duke of Cambridge

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eneloop Panasonic and Jaguar were proud to see the [RE]CHARGE Activation campaign come to life at a kick-off event held in Frankfurt, Germany, on October 4. [RE]CHARGE Activation is a four-week, action-packed Europe tour aimed to foster awareness of sustainability and the environment.

The epic journey begins

Three duos of photographers have embarked on the driving tour. At the kick-off event, the teams were briefed by representatives from eneloop Panasonic, Jaguar and the NGOs on the final routes, equipment use, expected conditions and other practicalities.

Three separate routes will see the teams travelling through Germany, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Croatia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Austria, Serbia, Estonia and Sweden. The teams drove off into the sunset at 17:00 local time.

Capturing the essence of Mother Nature

The tour will give centre stage to Mother Nature. The photographic teams will capture the beauties they encounter with cameras powered by eneloop batteries while driving the I-PACE, Jaguar’s all-electric SUV.

The photos will be published online where members of the public can ‘like’ them. The team with the most ‘likes’ will raise the most funds for their NGO’s environmental projects. The participating NGOs are the African Conservation Foundation, the Rainforest Trust and the Aktionsgemeinschaft Artenschutz. These organisations all work in local communities to protect endangered animal and plant species as well as their habitats.

View this post on Instagram

#TeamZEBRA has reunited with the forces of nature. “Every time we visit the outdoors we reunite with nature in a new way”, they said. Support them by liking their picture or by submitting your own [RE]UNITE version with #TeamZEBRA on your Instagram.

A post shared by eneloop [RE]CHARGE Journey (@eneloopjourney) on Oct 15, 2019 at 1:30am PDT

Setting an example

eneloop and Jaguar hope that other companies will follow in their footsteps by collaborating to achieve ‘A Better Life, a Better World’, which is Panasonic’s brand philosophy. Both companies are known globally as producers of high-performing products, and eneloop batteries and the Jaguar I-PACE are examples of their investment in innovation that minimises environmental impact.

Environmentally friendly

The eneloop batteries can be recharged by solar power and charged up to 2,100 times. Compared with single-use batteries, they are better for the environment and reduce waste, and they have exemplary power and reliability.

The I-PACE, voted the 2019 ‘European Car of the Year’, ‘World Car of the Year’ and ‘World Green Car’, is powered by two electric motors and releases no harmful emissions. It is Jaguar’s first all-electric, performance SUV. Those who attended the kick-off event were invited to enjoy an I-PACE test drive.

Your vote counts

Follow the [RE]CHARGE Activation journeys online and participate in the worthy campaign on Facebook and Instagram by liking your favourite moments.

For more information about this collaboration, please visit the [RE]CHARGE Activation website. 

View this post on Instagram

What did the [RE]CONNECT theme mean to #TeamZEBRA? Inner peace: “Reconnect with nature by finding a quiet place to free your mind for a while”. Support #TeamZEBRA by liking their picture or by submitting your own [RE]CONNECT interpretation with #TeamZEBRA on your Instagram.

A post shared by eneloop [RE]CHARGE Journey (@eneloopjourney) on Oct 11, 2019 at 2:00am PDT

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ABOUT PANASONIC ENERGY EUROPE NV

Panasonic Energy Europe is headquartered in Zellik, near Brussels, Belgium. The company is part of the Panasonic Corporation, a leading global manufacturer of electronic and electrical goods. Panasonic’s vast and lengthy experience in the consumer electronics field has enabled Panasonic to become the largest battery manufacturer in Europe today. The European production facilities are located in Tessenderlo, Belgium, and Gniezno, Poland. Panasonic Energy Europe supplies ‘mobile’ energy solutions to more than 30 European countries. The company’s diverse product range includes rechargeable cells, chargers, zinc carbon, alkaline and specialty batteries (such as zinc air, photo lithium, lithium coin, micro alkaline and silver oxide). For more information, please visit: www.panasonic-batteries.com.

ABOUT PANASONIC 

The Panasonic Corporation, based in Osaka Japan, is a leading company worldwide and concerned with the development and manufacture of electronic goods for a wide range of private, trade and industrial uses. In the financial year ending 31 March 2018, Panasonic posted consolidated net sales of around 61,4 billion EUR. Panasonic is committed to creating a better life and a better world, continuously contributing to the evolution of society and to the happiness of people around the globe. Panasonic celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2018. Read more about the company and the Panasonic brand name at www.panasonic.net.

ABOUT JAGUAR

Jaguar’s heritage of elegant design and breath-taking performance has excited and delighted the world for 80 years. Today’s world-class Jaguar family comprises the award-winning XE, XF and XJ saloons, the dramatic F-TYPE sports car, the F-PACE performance crossover – the fastest-selling Jaguar ever, the new E-PACE compact performance SUV and now I-PACE, the all-electric performance SUV that puts Jaguar at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution.

The post Let the [RE]CHARGE journey begin: Hitting the road to raise sustainability awareness appeared first on African Conservation Foundation.

Apart from being our ICT guru, John was also called the philosopher within the organisation. As early as 2001, he introduced the concept of local capacity building in conservation – both organisational capacity and personal capacities. A proponent of ‘bottom-up’ approaches, he made sure that the African Conservation Foundation was one of the first organisations promoting and supporting community-based conservation initiatives.

As a former Head of Information Technology, John also worked with organisations at the national level, such as Kenya Wildlife Services, Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) and Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) in East Africa. This work was focusing on the use of new information technologies that supported the work of managers, rangers, educators and communication staff working for these organisations. Outputs included the very first websites for some of these organisations, the use of email, databases for research and project management and later also Geographical Information Systems.

John Parkin was working with conservation legends like Sebastian Chuwa, a Tanzanian conservationist from the Kilimanjaro region who saved the endangered African Blackwood or Mpingo tree from the brink of extinction and during his lifetime supervised the planting of millions of trees. Together they increased the communication and outreach capacity of Sebastian’s environmental education programmes in Tanzania.

John’s greatest passion was in the delivery of training to students and professionals, including curriculum, course development and training needs assessments. In that role, he was also a mentor and guide to hundreds of students, including young African conservationists and other professionals in the non-profit sector. John also worked tirelessly to help people to set up their own conservation organisations and provided them with the knowledge and facilities.

John’s contribution to conservation is widely recognised and won him a major award, the 2006 Stockholm Challenge Award in the Environment category. As a gifted teacher, he has affected so many but felt no need to draw attention to it. He believed in himself and his and others abilities to make a difference.

At the African Conservation Foundation we continue our work in John’s spirit. With an ever-expanding human population, climate change, and increasing demand for natural resources, pressure on wildlife and biodiversity will intensify. It becomes increasingly important to assist communities with bottom-up biodiversity conservation approaches and help shift unsustainable development to development options aligned with local ecosystems. In this crucial time, our co-founder John Parkin was leading the way and giving direction, engaging, training and mobilizing local people in the conservation of their natural heritage, for the benefit of our children and grandchildren.

Our condolences and best wishes are with John’s wife, his children and grandchildren in the United Kingdom.

Following his sudden death the family have decided to have only a small family funeral and to ask people to make a donation instead to his favourite charity: https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/johnparkin

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