About Us
What We Do
INTRODUCTION
Friends of Lebialem Highlands
We are a group of passionate individuals who believe in the importance of protecting and preserving some of the world’s most endangered animals.
Conservation Solutions
We are dedicated to the conservation of great apes in the Lebialem Highlands Landscape of Cameroon. Our organization is committed to protecting the threatened great apes, including chimpanzees and gorillas, through a multi-faceted approach that includes research and conservation, education, livelihoods, social business, restoration, forest surveillance, and biomonitoring.
Research
Our team conducts ongoing research to better understand the behaviour, great ape population and ecology of great apes in the Lebialem Highlands Landscape. Through ERuDeF’s University Institute of Applied Biodiversity Sciences, we build and use this knowledge to improve our conservation efforts and develop effective strategies for protecting these animals.
Education
We believe that education is key to promoting the conservation of great apes. We work closely with local communities, schools, and government agencies to raise awareness about the importance of protecting these animals and their habitat. We also promote education through training of community rangers, foresters, and other wildlife specialist at the Erudef Biodiversity University Institute
Livelihood
We recognize the importance of sustainable livelihoods for local communities, and we work to promote economic opportunities that are compatible with conservation efforts. Our programs include; social business, eco-tourism, sustainable agriculture, and alternative livelihoods that reduce pressure on the forest
Restoration
We work to restore degraded habitat in the Lebialem Highlands Landscape, including reforestation and habitat enrichment projects that benefit great apes and other wildlife.
Forest surveillance and Biomonitoring
Our team conducts regular forest surveillance and biomonitoring to detect and prevent illegal activities such as poaching and logging. We also use biomonitoring techniques to track the health and well-being of great ape populations in the landscape in order to provide long term support in the management of the conservation areas.
