Moving the Dial: How 19 West African Managers Are Restoring Regional Forest Landscapes

TBA brought together 19 restoration managers, from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, working in NGO’s, government, universities and the private sector to participate in a training course we designed to move the dial for restoration in West Africa. ‘Restoring Forest Landscapes: a training course for restoration manager’, hosted at Liberia’s Forestry training institute benefited from their long history of restoration programmes, training and outreach.

We received nearly 90 applications from restoration managers for this course which highlights the demand in this profession for opportunities to enhance and update their skills and network with one another.

“Participating in the ‘Restoring Forest Landscapes’ course, has been eye-opening. Understanding the practicalities of landscape restoration is key to meeting our global SDGs and protecting the livelihoods that depend on our forests.”  Valerie S. Toby (Liberia)

The course was delivered by a multidisciplinary team of trainers, forest restoration scientists, and practitioners from Liberia, Finland and the UK. The trainers brought both current academic knowledge and also technical knowledge, from lived experience from national restoration efforts, policymaking, and community engagement.

Participants gained first- hand knowledge about the suite of restoration approaches that form a continuum from natural regeneration, assisted natural regeneration to active restoration.

A variety of site visits enabled participants to see real-world examples of drivers of forest degradation firsthand and allow for practical exercises.

Participants shared information on their own projects and the barriers and challenges they face.  Outputs were incorporated into the teaching for the rest of the course.

The course catalysed a new professional network of restoration practitioners from the region exchanging ideas and learning from one another, while making connections for future collaborations.

“This program is more than just a course; it’s an investment in my professional capacity to serve Guinea and the rest of West African environmental sector.  It strengthened my conservation skills, provided valuable exchanges with international experts, and fostered connections with professionals committed to preserving our forests” Moussa Conde (Guinea)

The course forms part of a collaborative programme between the Tropical Biology Association, University of Liberia, Cambridge University, LUKE, and RSPB, funded by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative Collaborative Fund.