This project aims to contribute to the protection of the Gola Rain Forest, its ecosystem and biodiversity as key global heritage. it focuses on raising environmental awareness especially among youths and women and persons with disabilities, improving and maintaining traditional ecological knowledge, maintaining good forest cover, promote an alternative sustainable livelihood activities focused on NTFP, especially apiculture (beekeeping) as well as promoting sustainable land and forest management practices. The target is to stabilize or increase the population of species and their distribution while decreasing the threat and act as incentives for the conservation of the proposed project areas. The proposed project will be implemented in two (2) sections of Gaura chiefdom including Joru and Mendegelema sections, two (2) sections of Tunkia chiefdom including Daru and Nguawoma sections and Nomo chiefdom with Ngebu and Faama sections. Project activities are in line with the National Environmental Policy which states as one of its main objective to ?preserve biological diversity and uphold the principle of optimum sustainable yield in the use of living natural resources and ecosystem.? The project is highly complementary to on-going effort for environmental protection by the Gola Forest Programme and others such as Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA), Green Africa, Conservation Society, etc. The project falls within and contributes to the GEF SGP thematic area: ?Land degradation and sustainable forest management?.

The primary objective of the proposed project include the following:
To Promote a culture of land reforestation in forest edge communities.
To Enhance collective community involvement and participation in forest management practices.
To Raise awareness through radio talk shows, float parade, posters, etc.
To Provide alternative sustainable livelihood especially apiculture (bee keeping) in target communities

Specific Objectives are:
1.To train at least 3,500 community members on the importance of and steps involve in reforestation of degraded land. 50 acres of land reforested
2.To trained at least 95% of targeted community members in forest management by end of 2023
3.To train at least 3,500 community members on sustainable land and forest management.
4.To improve the knowledge and skills of at least 85% of target forest edged communities on conservation, protection and management of forest by end of 2023.
5. To improve income of at least 90% of community members engaged in apiculture (bee keeping) in target communities by end of 2023.
6. To conduct training for 90 communities in COVID-19 pandemic;