"The forests of Liberia are among the most diverse on the planet, home not only to humans and their ancestral ties but also to rare species such as forest elephants, pygmy hippopotamuses and western chimpanzees. They are also chronically threatened by industrial development, including illegal logging and mining."
"For nearly a decade, the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL) has recruited and trained a corps of up to 80 eco-guards to help protect the forest. The eco-guards, all of whom live in forest communities, patrol for signs of illegal activity and share their findings with rangers from nearby parks and forests."
"In late January 2025, the SCNL learned that USAID, the eco-guards' primary financial backer, was being dismantled by the Trump administration and that funding had been abruptly suspended. The SCNL programme manager spent several days travelling over rough forest roads to break the news to the eco-guards, who were shocked and distraught."
Liberia's tropical forests are among the planet's most biodiverse ecosystems, home to endangered species including forest elephants, pygmy hippopotamuses, and western chimpanzees. The Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia has trained approximately 80 eco-guards from forest communities to patrol for illegal logging, mining, and poaching. These guards earn salaries enabling them to support their families and invest in education and property. In January 2025, USAID's dismantling by the Trump administration abruptly suspended funding for this critical program. Eco-guards now face unemployment and may resort to illegal hunting and resource extraction to survive, threatening the forests they previously protected.
#forest-conservation #wildlife-protection #usaid-funding-crisis #liberia-biodiversity #environmental-guardianship
Read at www.theguardian.com
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