Illustrated books about gorillas for schools around the Dja Reserve

Around the Dja Faunal Reserve in Cameroon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Congo Basin rainforest, many children live beside a forest rich in biodiversity and have very limited access to educational materials that reflect their environment and culture. "I want to change that," he says.

Ewane Epanda Jonathan works with Tropical Forest and Rural Development, TF-RD, a community-based conservation organisation in Cameroon. The books came out of that work. Through it he develops and distributes environmental education materials for children living around the reserve. He has developed illustrated children's books on Western lowland gorillas, forest elephants and biodiversity conservation, and the books are used during environmental education activities in primary schools around the Dja Reserve.

“I believe that conservation should not only protect nature, but also create opportunities for young people and local communities to become part of the solution.”

Ewane Epanda Jonathan

What motivates him, he says, is seeing children become excited about learning about the animals and forests around them. "I believe conservation begins with education," he says. "When children understand the value of their natural heritage, they are more likely to protect it in the future."

He is a student at the Higher Institute of Environmental Science IBAY. Right now he is working on expanding the materials and reaching more schools in rural communities around the reserve.