Over 200 school kids from GBPS Pagha and Government Bilingual High School (GBHS) Bangourain have received their first-ever conservation education lessons, marking a significant milestone in Voice of Nature (VoNat)’s strive to bring back endangered species from the brink of extinction. VoNat organised this conservation education session in February 2025, on the heels of a baseline study in the Mount Mbam area focused on the region’s biodiversity, land use systems, environmental degradation, and socio-economic activities.
The conservation education programmme taught the students and pupils about the rich biodiversity of the Mount Mbam Area, with highlights on various species of birds, trees, animals, and amphibians of the landscape. The conservation lessons also tackled the pressing conservation threats in the area, including bush fires, hunting, deforestation, and more, underscoring the importance of conservation and sustainable practices.
“We are happy to have had the opportunity to educate these young minds about the importance of conservation,” said Ndmuh B. Shancho, the Executive Director of VoNat. “It’s essential that we empower the next generation of conservation leaders, and we are confident that this programme will have a lasting impact on the wildlife and people of this community,” he added.
The pupils and students, who were visibly excited and engaged throughout the lessons, expressed gratitude to VoNat for the initiative. “We learned so much about the animals and plants in our region,” one of the students of GBHS Bangourain, Eunice said, while requesting more conservation education sessions from VoNat.
The Principal of GBHS Bangourain, Mr. Nsangou Andre Ernest, also praised the initiative. “We are deeply grateful to Voice of Nature (VoNat) for choosing our school for this program. From this first experience, I am sure the children have learnt a lot and will show more interest in protecting nature and conserving the rich biodiversity of this area. We hope you people can come back again so that more students and even teachers can also benefit from these rich lessons,” the principal added.
This conservation education initiative is a significant step towards promoting environmental awareness and sustainability in Bangourain. As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change, conservation, and sustainability, it’s essential that we empower the next generation of leaders to take action.