Environment advocates in the wild

About thirty (30) journalists from Biodiversity Action Journalists Gambia (BAJ Gambia) led by the staff of Department of Parks and Wildlife Managemen, Mr, Abdoulie Sawo from the 24^th to 25^th July, 2014 embarked on a two days visits to national parks; aim at obtaining first-hand information about the existing parks in the country.

BAJ Gambia members

The places visited included Tanji Bird Reserve, Abuko Nature Reserve and Kiang West National Parks thanks to the support of UNDP-GEF Small Grant Programme.

The first place to visit was Tanji Bird Reserve in the Kombo North, West Coast Region, shortly before they go in the parks they (BAJ-Gambia) were briefed by staff of the department on the ground on history and activities of the park including benefits, challenges and way-forward.

Mamadou Edrisa Njie, Director of Programme for BAJ-Gambia in his introduction stated that the visit is the final activity of the UNDP/ GEF-Small Grants Programme financed programme and this came after series of programmes implemented across the country as stated in the project document, thus encourage public participation in environmental protection.

Sanyang prefers briquettes to firewood

As they are committed to safe their forest

 The community of Sanyang has committed themselves in replacing the firewood and charcoal to fuel briquette from groundnutshells; introduced by GreenTech Vision, a Community Base Organisation for environmental protection, based in Kololi.

The people of the Sanyang applauded GreenTech Vision for coming with the stove and briquettes in protecting their environment and the forest,” they made this commitment during a daylong sensitization and demonstration program organised by CBO recently in Sanyang.

The project funded by the UNDP Global Environmental Facility (GEF) -Small Grants Programme (SGP), is aimed at tackling environmental challenges like deforestation, loss of biodiversity and climate change and improving livelihoods.

Media practitioners exposed to environmental protection

Group picture of the participants

No fewer than 30 media practitioners mainly editors, web-designers, radio presenters and online reporters from the print and electronic media 15^th March, 2014 hold a day long capacity enhancement on environmental editing, reporting and broadcasting, at the Wellingara Horticulture Model Centre.

                                                 Organised by the Biodiversity Action Journalists-The Gambia (BAJ-Gambia), through funding  from UNDP GEF-Small Grants Programme (UNDEP/GEF-SGP), the grant is meant to implement a twelve-month project on public awareness on ‘Environmental Protection and Mitigation’ nationwide. 

The objective of the project is designed to promote public participation in Protected Area Management of environmental and biodiversity resources for posterity.

BAJ-The Gambia is an environmental and natural resources journalists’ organisation, with a membership of 70 practising journalists from both print and electronic (social) media community radios and youth activists across the country, aimed at advocating  sustainable use of biological and natural resources for generations yet unborn.  

Mamadou Edrisa Njie, BAJ-Gambia social-secretary said the project is meant to protect and mitigate the environment, working in collaboration with Gambia Press Union, National Environmental Agency (NEA), Young Journalists Association of The Gambia (YJAG), MOBSE and other relevant stakeholders across the country.