Freetown, 5th June, 2026 – In a major restoration effort marking World Environment Day, conservationists and community members have planted 5,000 trees across six acres of degraded forest in the Western Area Peninsula National Park (WAPNP). The initiative led by Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary’s outreach team in partnership with Orange Sierra Leone, aims to reclaim deforested areas along the Tecuyema/Congo catchment, a vital water source serving more than 200,000 people.
The reforestation drive focused on native species including Terminalia ivorensis, Afzelia africana, Ceiba pentandra and fruit trees, chosen to rebuild habitat, strengthen biodiversity and protect the Upper Guinea rainforest ecosystem. Staff, volunteers, community members, EducAid Sierra Leone and Roots & Shoots joined forces to plant the trees, underscoring the collective commitment to safeguarding wildlife and water security.
Organizers described the effort as “a small act of hope” for chimpanzees, the forest and future generations, as WAPNP continues to face mounting pressures from deforestation, land degradation and habitat loss.
