11 Jan IITA Forest Center prepares trainers for Olokemeji School Conservation Clubs
As the Olokemeji reforestation project swings into full gear, the IITA Forest Center held its first training for School Conservation Club (SCC) leaders held in Ibadan on 15 and 16 July. This partially fulfills the project’s mandates to bring children on board as critical conveners of biodiversity conservation efforts for sustainable succession.
The two-day instructor-led course equipped the volunteer teachers with the required skills to engage school children as ambassadors of biodiversity conservation in fun yet educative ways.
In her welcome address, IITA Deputy Director General, Corporate Services, Hilde Koper, expressed her pleasure at seeing the training participants and their interest in creating the clubs. She recognized them as ambassadors of IITA and biodiversity champions to promote reforestation and environmental conservation in their community and among school children. She stressed further that ‘’Our environment is important for the future of everybody.’’