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On the morning of Tuesday, November 30th, 2023, the Tropical Mycology and Plants-Soils-Fungi Interactions (MyTIPS) research unit received students from the University of Kara (Republic of Togo). The purpose of this visit was to showcase the diverse activities and research carried out by the research unit. During their visit, the students attended several presentations, including a brief introduction of FC-SSA Project. After the presentations, the students also had the opportunity to visite the various equipment and technologies utilized by the research unit. This allowed them to better understand the unit’s areas of focus which span tropical mycology as well as plant-soil-fungi interactions. Overall, the visit served as a valuable chance for the next generation of fungal researchers from the University of Kara to learn about the cutting-edge work being done by the MyTIPS unit. It also opened up potential avenues for future research collaborations between the University and the unit.

As part of executing the activities of the Fungal Conservation in South-Saharan Africa Darwin main project 30-020 (FC-SSA), a project team composed of Dramani Ramdan, Wilfrid Adjimoti and field manager Saidou M. Gnanando carried out the ‘Official launch of the forest seed harvesting campaign and discussions with nursery growers in the villages benefiting from the FC-SSA Project.’ In these villages, teams of 6 to 10 people with more than 50% women were formed for the installation of nurseries, monitoring and maintenance of the plants. They were trained on identifying target species (Afzelia africana, Isoberlinia tomentosa, Isoberlinia doka, Uapaka togolensis, Berlinia grandiflora and Monotes kerstingii) and seed conditioning. Cash collection and storage equipment was also provided to these teams. Together they collected more than a hundred seeds. This mission helped to promote the FC-SSA Project through distributing t-shirts bearing the image of the project to the nursery groups formed

In its second Friday session of 2023, the National Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters of Benin (ANSALB) focused on Edible mushrooms, exploring their geographical distribution and economic potential in Benin. Esteemed experts presented in-depth analyses, aligning with ANSALB’s initiative to boost the local edible mushroom sector. A televised roundtable in November will bring together stakeholders, producers, investors, and policymakers to discuss utilizing Benin’s abundant mushroom resources. This event followed ANSALB’s first session in 2023, which centered on biodegradable packaging solutions. ANSALB’s commitment to fostering academic discussions in emerging industries showcases its dedication to enhancing Benin’s economic and social landscape. Through disseminating cutting-edge research and expert collaborations, ANSALB aims to drive innovation and growth in these promising sectors.

From October 13th to 19th, Ramdan Dramani, a team member of the FC-SSA Project, attended the 25th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of his training in Multilateral Environmental Agreement Negotiation under the Charles R. Wall Policy Programme of the African Wildlife Foundation. During this event, he engaged in advocacy efforts by interacting with policy makers, conservationists, CBD focal points, NGO, as well as delegates from indigenous people and local communities about FC-SSA Project. Additionally, he utilized this opportunity to disseminate project description flyers and presented some of them to the attendees.

In August 2023, as part of Activity 2 of the Fungal Conservation in Sub-Sahara Africa (FC-SSA), Darwin Main Project 30-020, a team led by Mr. GNANANDO Saidou, Field Collaborator and Executive Director of the NGO REDERC, conducted a mission in targeted areas. The objective of this was to reforest degraded sites in five different forests using Afzelia Africana plants. The selection of beneficiary forests, including Papatia Botanical Garden, sacred forests of Sinaisiré, and community forests of Tassigourou, Tamadé, and Kobourou, was based on factors like degradation level, forest size, and density of ectomycorrhizal trees, determined from previous inventory missions. During this mission, 600 Afzelia Africana plants were planted, with allocation detailed in a table. The teams, comprising 6 to 8 members each, adhered to a gender equality approach, ensuring 3 to 4 women in each team. Team composition was determined based on the number of plants to be planted in each specific forest, aligning with our commitment to gender balance and effective reforestation efforts.

NGO REDERC Executive Director’s Visit : Implementation of the FC-SSA Project activitiesOn October 6, 2023, Mr. GNANANDO Saibou, Executive Director of the NGO REDERC, visited the Research Unit in Tropical Mycology and Soil Plant-Mushroom Interactions (MyTIPS) at the University of Parakou. This visit was part of the implementation of third quarter activities of the Fungal Conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Sustainability and livelihood involvement (FC-SSA) Project. Under the direction of Prof Yorou, who heads the FC-SSA Project, this meeting facilitated the establishment of a plan outlining the activities intended for this quarter. The point relating to the introduction of Moringa oleifera tree planting was also discussed and, on this point, Mr. GNANANDO expressed his full support for this initiative aimed at improving the sources of income of project beneficiaries. Mr. GNANANDO, field collaborator of the FC-SSA project, also visited the MyTIPS laboratory and observed the ongoing research activities. The University of Parakou is the lead institution of the FC-SSA project.

A technical mission was carried out from July 06 to 15, 2023 by project staff to map the target village forests and assess their woody floristic composition prior to project interventions.

From July 04 to 05, 2023, the FC SSA project held a series of meetings with local people in each of the project villages. These meetings were an opportunity to present the project to the local authorities and the massively mobilized population.