Still in the spirit of acknowledging the role of community stakeholders in conservation, we celebrate our incredible partners who have supported our project to conserve the damselflies of the Obudumontaneregion, funded by The Rufford Foundation, Mohammed Bin Zayed Foundation, and Idea Wild. Among our key stakeholders in Obanliku Local Government, we especially appreciate Mr. Kevin Eyos, President of the Obudu Community Youths, and the pioneer president of the ObuduDragonflyandDamselflyConservationClub (ODDCC).
His exceptional knowledge of the ObuduMountains terrain has been instrumental in our team’s search for the Critically Endangered Obudu Relic Damselfly (Pentaphlebiagamblesi). Kevin also motivates local community members, many of whom are ODDCC members, to observe and document odonates and share their records on citizen science platforms like iNaturalist. We also recognize Mr. Sabastine Boakem,ODDCCSecretary, whose expertise in local logistics ensures seamless fieldwork and community engagement. By participating in surveys, Sabastine gains hands-on skills in ecology and conservation, including macrophotography, species identification, water quality assessments, and conservation education. Special thanks to Mr. Godwin Ikpeh of the BecheveNatureReserve, which provides valuable access and guidance to critical habitats like GrottoStream and EmbaForestPatch.
We also commend Goodluck Agona, a young and enthusiastic participant who engages in all our activities whenever he is not in school. His passion for conservation and eagerness to learn make him a promising future champion for local biodiversity. Whether in the field or virtually, our conversations with these young stakeholders are always fruitful. While we learn about the culture, geography, and local ecological knowledge, they gain insight into odonate diversity, conservation status, threats, and solutions, becoming true ambassadors for odonate species and habitat conservation in Obudu. We firmly believe the future of dragonfly and damselfly conservation in the Obudu montane region is promising, thanks to our young, vibrant, and dedicated stakeholders who share our ultimate goal of conserving odonates in the Obudu mountains.
ConservationCitizenScienceDragonfliesDamselfliesObuduCommunityEngagementYouthInConservationBiodiversityOdonatesAbiodun Matthew AdedapoFagbohun IbrahimEsther KowobariTolulope OladejiOluwaseun Temitope AkinpeluOlanrewaju Aliu FIMC, CMCWest Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI)NCF Nigeria
Emmanuel O. Akindele Abiodun Matthew Adedapo Oluwaseun Temitope Akinpelu Fagbohun Ibrahim Olanrewaju Aliu FIMC, CMC NCF Nigeria National Park Service, Nigeria West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI)
