Exhibition of biological specimens as part of the National Week of Biodiversity. Unfortunately, fungi are missing in the collection of National Forest Office. But fortunately, MyTIPS is present to showcase fungi and to bring their voice at the table.
From May 2-4, 2024, FC-SSA project team member Wilfrid Adjimoti participated in the African Youth Conference on Natural Resources and Environmental Governance in Accra, Ghana. This event brought together young people passionate about natural resource governance and environmental protection, from countries such as Ivory Coast, Benin, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, South Africa and Sierra Leone. Mr. Adjimoti took this opportunity to promote the FC-SSA project to participants. A kakemono presenting the project was on display, allowing visitors to discover the objectives and achievements of this initiative aimed at preserving and restoring forests. Flyers were also distributed, providing detailed information about the project. The FC-SSA project thus continues to gain visibility and build potential partners across the continent.
Published this Monday, April 29 in the newspaper “Le Matinal” under the title « Edible mushroom sector in Benin », the publication addresses the issues and challenges of an under-exploited gold mine. According to Professor Yourou, Director of MyTIPS in the publication, Beninese forests are full of more than 800 species of which more than fifty have high nutritional value. Promotion of this resource involving the population from harvest to consumption will enable to value these mushrooms.
On April 5th, 2024, the University of Parakou hosted the launch of the book « Champignons comestibles d’Afrique de l’Ouest », a collaborative effort between the Meise Botanical Garden and the MyTIPS research unit. This nine-chapter work comprehensively explores aspects of West African mycology, ranging from the climates influencing fungal diversity to the illustrated descriptions of edible species, including their cultivation, valorization, and identification. Its publication serves as a further step in the ongoing initiatives focused on conserving the rich fungal biodiversity in sub-Saharan Africa, of « Fungal Conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa » Project.
On April 3, 2024, We participated in the workshop « Disseminating the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and Consulting with National Stakeholders for a Better Revision of the NBSAP of Benin. » It was an opportunity to interact with the political and administrative authorities of the Parakou town hall, the Ministry of Living Environment, Transport, and Sustainable Development, the CBD focal point, representatives of local NGOs, and researchers from the University of Parakou. We discussed target 2 of the KM GBF, aiming to restore at least 30% of ecosystems by 2030, and target 3, aiming to protect 30% of terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems by 2030. These exchanges aligned well with our project, one of whose core objectives is habitat restoration.
From March 28th to 29th, 2024, a team from the FC-SSA Project undertook a visit to villages benefiting from the project. During these two days of visits, the team engaged in discussions with women from the beneficiary villages to gather their experiences in establishing nurseries. Capacity-building program has been also organized for women on strategies for fungi habitats conservation, such as permaculture. This direct interaction enabled for a deeper understanding project impact on local community livelihood. The team visited also Babazaoré community forest and the Papatia botanical garden.
On March 25 and 26, the MyTIPS laboratory hosted training on Permaculture, covering its principles and applications. Led by Ghian from Permaculture Association, a collaborator of the Fungal Conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa Project, this session involved 30 students. During this training, participants explored the importance of permaculture in preserving the sustainable environment, its practical application, as well as techniques such as water filtering. Additionally, special attention was paid to mushroom production. The session concluded with the delivery of certificates to the participants, thus being part of the capacity building efforts of the FC-SSA project.
From February 26 to March 3, 2024, a field mission was carried out as part of the FC-SSA project. The team consisted of Mr. Wilfrid Adjimoti and Apollon Hegbe. The objective of the mission was to establish nurseries and install plaques bearing the project’s image in several localities. The sites involved for nursery were Tassigourou, Tamendé, Papatia and Babazaoré. During this mission, over 3,500 seeds of native species, including Monotes kerstingii, Afzelia africana and Isoberlinia, were planted in the newly created nurseries. Local populations actively participated in these activities. Plaques with the FC-SSA project name were also installed in seven forests involved in the project. This action aims to mark the project’s presence and get local communities involved. The team would like to highlight the warm welcome received in each town and the residents’ active mobilization around these different activities. The FC-SSA project appears to be well accepted and supported by the concerned populations. The mission took place according to schedule. The objectives were successfully achieved.
Wilfrid Adjimoti, a team member of the FC-SSA Project, attended an awareness campaign organized by the Benin CBD Focal Point on ‘’CHM development project using the Bioland tool and Biodiversity in Benin’’ at Borgou Forestry Inspection on Monday, January 29, 2024. During the session and through two different presentations, the CBD Focal Point presented the history of CHM and the use of the new Bioland server. It is also an opportunity for Wilfrid to engage in advocacy efforts by interacting with local NGOs, conservationists, CBD focal points of Benin, as well as foresters about the FC-SSA Project. Additionally, he utilized this opportunity to disseminate project description flyers and presented some of them to the attendees.
From December 23rd to 25th, 2022, we carried out two major activities. The first activity involved weeding and creating firebreaks around the seedlings that we planted in August in five target villages of our Project. After collecting all the seeds from the local communities, the second activity involved setting up nurseries in these villages. In total, 4000 pots were filled by seventy women and ten men. The project also provided these dedicated women and men who support the project with the necessary equipment the nuseries care