By: Geeplay Ezekiel Geeplay | Contributing Writer
Bilibokree, Sinoe County |April 20, 2026 | Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), in partnership with the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), on Saturday concluded a one-day conservation awareness campaign through drama sensitization at the Bilibokree City Hall, drawing approximately 200 residents and local government officials from communities surrounding Sapo National Park.
The outreach, combined environmental education with cultural performances, including drama and traditional dance, to highlight the ecological and economic value of Liberia’s first national park.
During the program, Dr. Annika Hillers, Country Representative of Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, presented a consignment of sanitation supplies, including brooms, rakes, and trash receptacles to the Bilibokree City Corporation.
The donation she noted, is intended to support ongoing community cleanliness initiatives and reinforce the link between environmental health and biodiversity conservation.
“Clean communities and clean forests go together,” Dr. Hiller told attendees. “Protecting Sapo National Park is protecting our national heritage and the future of our children.”
In her keynote address, Dr. Anika Hillers underscored the legal and ecological importance of Sapo National Park, describing it as “a national heritage and future hope” for Liberia.
The WCF Country Director cautioned against illegal mining and other extractive activities within the park’s boundaries, noting that such actions threaten endangered species, including the West African chimpanzee, and undermine national conservation commitments.
She called on residents of Juarzon District and adjoining areas to serve as frontline partners in safeguarding the park, stressing that community cooperation remains critical to long-term enforcement and sustainability.
Thomas Normah, Community Engagement Officer with the campaign, commended residents for their continued commitment to preserving the park’s biodiversity.
He noted that local stewardship has been instrumental in monitoring wildlife corridors and reporting illegal activities to authorities.
The FDA, which co-hosted the event, reiterated its mandate to manage Liberia’s protected areas and pledged continued collaboration with civil society organizations and communities to strengthen awareness and compliance.
Sapo National Park, gazetted in 1983, covers 1,804 square kilometers of Upper Guinean rainforest in southeastern Liberia and is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot.
It provides habitat for chimpanzees, forest elephants, pygmy hippopotamuses, and numerous endemic species.
The Wild Chimpanzee Foundation has operated in Liberia since 2001, focusing on research, education, and community-based conservation around the park.
Saturday’s campaign forms part of a broader effort by WCF and FDA to reduce human-wildlife conflict, curb illegal encroachment, and promote sustainable livelihoods in forest-edge communities.
