Rainforest Trust is working to support the conservation of over 13,000 acres of Mt. Namuli in Mozambique, a critical biodiversity hotspot. Community conservation outreach is a vital part of the larger efforts of partners LUPA and Legado to conserve Mt. Namuli.

The communities around Mt. Namuli are a vital part of the greater Namuli ecosystem. They rely on the mountain for ecosystem services like water, and the mountain relies on their support for conservation.

The community-based conservation approach around Mt. Namuli has the potential to set a new precedent for community conservation in Mozambique. But it takes a village to organize and educate a village on conservation.

The conservation teams on the ground in Mozambique helped organize a puppet show put on by students from one of the local primary schools. This came on the final day of a local conservation workshop organized in part by Rainforest Trust’s partners.

“It is critical to the success of any conservation effort that the youngest community members learn about and actively participate in conservation-related activities as early as possible,”

said Dr. Sally Lahm, Rainforest Trust’s Africa and Madagascar Conservation Officer. “These students are the future supporters of, and contributors to, effective management of the Mount Namuli ecosystem.”