© Abebayehu ,2013.

Wattled Crane (WC) is listed as vulnerable species in IUCN. It is endemic species to Africa and specialized to wetland habitats (Meine and Archibald 1996). The main population of this species is exists in some African countries (ranges from South Africa to Ethiopia). The main population in these countries are fragmented and reduced in the past decades due to degradation and loss of wetlands and other anthropogenic factors.

In Ethiopia the population is declined by 50% (1996 – 2007, below 200 individuals) due to wetland conversion to cropland and settlement (Richard et al., 2007). Jimma area and other south-western parts of Ethiopia are home of the main population in Ethiopia. However, the problems of wetland degradation and losses are increased overtime and WC populations are under serious threat. In addition, peoples in the project area (Jimma are) have poor understanding on ecological and socioeconomic relevance of WC and wetlands and continued converting wetlands to other land use. However, in the project area community education on WC ecology and the relevance of wetland ecosystem is not conducted yet.

Therefore, this project is designed to contribute for solving the existing problems and promote community based WC and its habitat conservation. The objectives of the project includes improving local community understanding on WC and wetland habitats through trainings, contributing for the introduction of conservation experience, skills, knowledge, cultures and insights among the local community, and promoting sustainable community-based conservation in Boye Wetland complex- collections of five small wetlands.