The Onyaabonsuadze traditional protected area has been under serious threat through anthropogenic activities as a result of population increase and demand for fertile lands for agricultural purposes and energy needs.

The apparent lack of alternative sources of individual or family woodlots farms put enormous pressure on the sacred grove. The Onyaabonsuadze sacred grove, which was about 40 hectares in size according to the local traditional authorities, is systematically being encroached upon and significantly reducing in size as a result of farming activities and cutting of trees for firewood. As the land they cultivate depletes in fertility they then shift into the grove for more fertile grounds, hence the reduction of the sacred grove.
There are also illegal hunting activities and tend to threaten the faunal diversity in the sacred grove.

Project Objectives:

1. To create buffer zone around the sacred grove to control further encroachment.
A total of about 7,000 seedlings of assorted plant species will be planted in the buffer zone.
2. To build the local capacity in biodiversity conservation. The project will promote the traditional conservation practices and empower institutions and groups that existed in the community to sustainably manage the sacred grove and other natural resources in general.
3. To facilitate the establishment of community woodlots to serve as alternative sources of fuel wood. A total of about 13,000 seedlings of cassia siamea are used for individual or family woodlots farms to cover an area of about 10 hectares. Agro forestry technology will be introduced to help improve agricultural productivity.
4. To establish the socio-economic and biological baseline survey report for the project area. This could be useful to access the performance of the project in the near future.

5. To promote awareness on the conservation of biological diversity and lay emphasis on sustainable harvesting techniques.

Intended Results

a) A well-established buffer zone created around the threatened Onyaabosuadze sacred grove and encroachment halted to a large extent. About 5,000 seedlings are expected to be planted. A community nursery established will produce the seedlings for planting at the buffer zone and for the individual woodlots farms. Forest Services Division as partners in biodiversity conservation will provide the technical support in terms of community nursery establishment and management as part of their contribution to the project. The organization will facilitate the planting activity and provide necessary assistance and motivation to ensure that the objective is met.
Environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural practices (agro forestry) will be encouraged at their farm lands.

b) The degraded portions of the sacred grove would be replanted with assorted tree species to restore the ecosystem. A total of about 2,000 seedlings of assorted plant species are used for this purpose. The community members will be motivated to carry out this activity through food for work especially when their enthusiasm decline and apathy set in. The organization shall demonstrate to the community the correct methods of planting trees. The traditional authorities together with community will be responsible for the nurturing, maintenance and protection.

c) The 10 hectares of woodlots farms established as an alternative sources of fuel wood (energy). The individuals of the community will establish woodlots farm on their own lands. They will nurture the plants till maturity. The organization and members of the community will monitor the activities on the farms/lands to ensure that the plants grow well without disturbance.

d) Awareness on Environmental and Biodiversity Conservation
The awareness programme will dwell on the environment and biodiversity significance and the threats on the natural resources in light of anthropogenic activities. Ecological and socio-economic information available will be used to identify priority areas and themes for environmental awareness particularly to control habitat degradation as a result of encroachment on the sacred grove through farming activities and harvesting of fuel wood. The traditional systems rules and regulations will also be incorporated in the design of awareness package.

Local schools will play a major role in the implementation of these programmes. Environmental volunteer groups will be formed in these schools and one of the major roles of the clubs will be to develop environmental outreach programmes in the community.

e) Local capacity built in environmental and biodiversity conservation.
This will give more insight into the community and will influence good attitudes of the community towards wise use of the natural resources.
The community would be trained in sustainable agricultural practices, sustainable harvesting and cutting techniques, fire fighting and prevention techniques to help protect the natural ecosystems for the benefit of present and future generations