Cassia cuttings.

Cassia fikifiki is one of the flora species with high medicinal value and is reported to be endemic to south west of Cote d’Ivore. However, plants species inventory by IUCN Liberia program in 2010 in collaboration with the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) revealed the existence of the species in south east Liberia. Over exploitation of the species in areas where they occur is setting stage for their extinction and now appears on the IUCN Red List as endangered.

C. fikifiki seedlings in garden

The project therefore intends to reduce threat to and maintain the existence of this valuable species in the flora of Liberia and the world at large. This involves engagement with communities where the species are found and networking with relevant institutions, share experience in order to achieve this objective.

The project is largely field base and will focus on forest tour and data collection to determine the extent to which the species occur, level of threat it faces and initiation of actions, for example, establishment of botanical garden with Cassia fikifiki as the flag ship species; provision of a minimum livelihood support such as training in beekeeping, production and installation of minimum number of beehives to provide short term income and woodlots development to provide long term economic and environmental benefits. These are critical to the project as conservation initiative in association with income generating component cement relationship between project participants and provide opportunity for success.

The project also seeks to ensure community right to woodlots established through development of by-laws at district level with the involvement of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and other relevant institutions.