AYV News, July 10, 2025
His Excellency Dr. Morie Komba Manyeh, Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, held a high-level meeting with senior executives of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) at the iconic David Attenborough Building, Cambridge University.
The world famous Sir David Attenborough’s connection to Sierra Leone dates back to 1954, when he visited to film the BBC’s Zoo Quest, documenting the Gola Rainforest and its rich biodiversity. This early work launched his long and distinguished career and brought global attention to Sierra Leone’s pristine natural heritage.
Yesterday’s Cambridge meeting focused on strengthening collaboration to conserve the Gola Rainforest and support sustainable development in forest-edge communities.
Covering over 70,000 hectares and home to 327 bird species, the Gola Rainforest is one of West Africa’s most important biodiversity hotspots. Through the pioneering Gola REDD+ Project (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation)—West Africa’s first large-scale forest carbon initiative—the partnership has protected habitats for endangered species such as pygmy hippos and chimpanzees, while supporting more than 24,000 people in 122 forest-edge communities. The project also generates carbon credits that help prevent approximately 500,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually and promote sustainable livelihoods through agroforestry, education, healthcare, and conservation enterprises.
Attending the meeting were RSPB senior officials: Dr. Jo Gilbert (Director, International), Alade Adeleke (Programme Manager, Sierra Leone), Richard Dixon (Head of Greater Gola Landscape), Lilian Goredema (International Programme Officer), and Bruce Liggit (Senior Policy Officer). They presented updates on the Gola Programme’s successes and plans, including transboundary collaboration with Liberia across the Greater Gola Landscape—covering 350,000 hectares under the Mano River Union framework.
Dr. Manyeh, (who was accompanied by Second Secretary Mrs Mbalia Sankoh and Information Attaché Abdulai Braima) commended the RSPB and its partners, including the Government of Sierra Leone, the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL), and local communities, for their decades-long commitment to conservation and sustainable development. He reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s readiness to support initiatives that protect its natural heritage while creating economic opportunities for rural populations.
The Gola Rainforest Conservation (GRC), a non-profit company managing the project, exemplifies successful partnerships between government, communities, and the private sector. It serves as a model for sustainable landscape management and post-conflict peacebuilding in the region.
