Enviromental Education

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Since the early 1990's, several small scale and local environmental education initiatives have been undertaken at Bossou village, IREB and surroundings villages by KUPRI.

Thanks to different funding, we are able to further promote village-level conservation awareness programs.

These initiatives have involved theater plays, special evening events, public screenings of videos about Bossou chimpanzees, distribution of conservation leaflets and badges and environmental education sessions.

Environmental education sessions have included for example the distribution at local schools of a booklet in French entitled 'Kikeimi' and a book in French and English entitled 'Juru the chimpanzee: Young and Curious, informal discussions prompted by the presentation of a questionnaire and, and public video screenings run by trained local youths, Soh Plétah Bonimy (UVODIZ) and Ignace Kolié (IREB).

Progress achieved is encouraging, but our efforts need to be sustained if we are to effectively positively change people's perceptions, attitudes and behavior towards conservation matters.

Environmental education in schools and villages

Local field assistants from Bossou animate an environmental education session in the primary school of Thuo, 4km from the village of Bossou (photos by Susana Carvalho)

Environmental education session at the College of Bossou animated by teacher/environmental educator from local NGO-UVODIZ (Soh Pletah Bonimy) (photo by Tatyana Humle)

Winners of drawing competition on themes pertaining to threats faced by wild chimpanzees and their habitat. Themes are discussed in class prior to the competition (photo by Tatyana Humle)

Jury comprised of teachers, local field assistants and a member of KUPRI-International team (Susana Carvalho) evaluate the drawings produced by pupils from the primary school of Thuo (photo by Bossou field assistant)

Winners who are awarded a prize (e.g. rucksack, materials for schooling, drawing pens etc.) proudly display thier drawings. Each drawing has to also contain a supporting written message (photo by Susana Carvalho)

Public video screening of a documentary film on the chimpanzees of Bossou illustrating their social life, the close bond between mother-offfspring, how young learn from others, as well as their amazing tool-use skills (photo by Susana Carvalho)

Teacher from a village near Diecke is reading a sensitization brochure out load to children in the village. The commitment and enthusiasm of teachers is essential to promote environmental education (photo by Susana Carvalho)

Environmental education material

Kikeimi

1999. In French.

This booklet, illustrated with pictures, relates the story of a young chimpanzee, from her childhood at Bossou until her migration at the adolescence to a new community of chimpanzees in the Nimba Mountains.

PDF is here

JURU THE CHIMPANZEE: YOUNG AND CURIOUS2003

Somewhere, in the tropical forest of West Africa, the sun is rising, the birds are singing and the mist hanging over the forest is gently unveiling a world where the lives of all animals and plants are intricately linked to each other. Somewhere, there is a voice: "Good morning, my name is Juru,, I am seven years old". (T. Humle)

This book presents a fictional but factual story (illustrated with photos and drawings) about a young female chimpanzee. This story touches on many different aspects of chimpanzee behavior reflecting their social and material intelligence, their similarity to humans, and their strong social affiliations.

PDF is here

Jokro: The death of an infant chimpanzee2003

This is the true story of an infant chimpanzee at Bossou, Guinea, West Africa, who died at the age of 2 and half years. The story narrated on this leaflet (with photos) also exists in a video format.

PDF is here

CHIMPANZEES OF BOSSOU AND NIMBA2005

This pamphlet provides basic information on ecology and regional conservation of Bossou and Nimba chimpanzees, history and progress of the Green corridor project, KUPRI and IREB role and rules for observing chimpanzees.

PDF English version is here.

PDF French version is here.

VIDEOS ABOUT BOSSOU CHIMPANZEES USED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCACION

*Copies available for specific requests*

Jokro: The death of an infant chimpanzee

This is the true story of an infant chimpanzee at Bossou, Guinea, West Africa, who died at the age of 2 and a half years. A researcher happened to capture her life on videotape for 16 days before her death and 27 days thereafter. The mother was named Jire, an approximately 35-year-old female. The infant's name was Jokro...

Signposts

On the front sides of IREB's buildings in Bossou, two mural paintings draw visitors and local people attention to the importance of protecting chimpanzees. The famous Gban hill, which is a central part of the chimpanzee's home range, is represented in the background.

Among others, this signpost recently paints by a Guinean artist has been posted on the edge of the largest road passing by Bossou in direction to Tuo village and the Liberian border. It primarily targeted at passing trucks, cars, motorcycles and pedestrians frequenting this road. You can read on it: "Let us cross ". Indeed, Bossou chimpanzees frequently cross this perilous road.

In addition, 22 signposts were manufactured in November 2003 through funding from GACF-USWF. Several of the larger signposts should have been posted beside towns in the prefecture of Lola and N'Zo, positioned along roadsides and forest edges with the aim of helping demarcate core area boundaries and stressing wildlife protection and the unlawfulness of hunting and poaching. Depending on their emplacement, they should be passing vehicles or local people frequenting these areas.