Ghana, West Africa - Exciting Proposal for a Sustainable Habitat and Biodiversity Restoration Project

In 2017 National Biodivesity Parks, Inc. continued its research for potential, sustainable biodiversity projects by surveying Ghana. Many areas of the country were visited with extensive information, data and contacts gathered.

Ghana's biodiversity is a valuable asset to its citizenry and to potential visitors from other countries. The full value of this important treasure is mostly untapped; like any rough gem it needs to be properly restored, nurtured, managed and marketed by several important stakeholders. Ghana like many developing countries has pressing issues. Presently there are hundreds of thousands of acres of lumbered or mined land that needs targeted, restoration management within a sustainable economic framework.

Engaging partners in sustainable land restoration that will support pragmatic specialty agriculture, forestry and ecotourism are pivotal to modernizing and diversifying economies.  

National Biodiversity Parks, Inc. (NBP) specializes in  partnering with individuals, firms, institutions and governments, to invest in, preserve and manage ecosystems, forests, parks, biodiversity, sustainability and ecotourism.

  

The world's conservation lands and remaining open space are exceedingly valuable to sustainable economic growth, future food production and a stable quality of life. These areas provide flood and erosion control, aquifer recharge, gradual water release to agricultural areas, climate stability, carbon storage, sustainable resources, food, forest products, pharmaceuticals, local community support, recreation, ecotourism and a home to valuable biodiversity.

Innovative, sustainable and lucrative investment opportunities and services are now offered by NBP to individuals, families, funds, companies, landowners and governmental departments. Ecosystems, watersheds, forests and biodiversity are growing in societal value. NBP is dedicated to developing strategic partnerships that produce profits via pivotal, vertical and horizontally integrated, conservation-centric projects. We are researching, developing and offering novel projects for today and the future.

NBP searches for, visits and studies potential project areas and packages appropriate opportunities for presentation to investors, partners and governments. These areas are judged on their ability to produce competitive economic, societal, financial and conservation returns. Our partners have the rare opportunity to produce a unique blend of personal and community benefits while diversifying their country's long term economic resilience and flexibility.

I.  Project Summary: To acquire a large property in the southern half of Ghana that supports some significant terrestrial wildlife species with potential to support more.  The property should offer an excellent ecological restoration and management opportunity to preserve and increase biodiversity and create sustainable specialized agriculture, select silviculture, ecotourism, community support, recreational, educational and research opportunities. The area selected should be managed with the assistance of local communities, teachers, students, farmers, tourists, researchers, stakeholders and Ghanaian citizens of all ages.

II. Project Abstract:

A. Strategic partnerships are formed to acquire undeveloped or impaired properties and implement proven and innovative habitat management methods to increase the overall ecological health of the native plant, forests and animal communities on these properties. A sustainable, ecological, natural community based management approach will gradually increase the overall biodiversity of a property and species’ populations.

The project plans on showcasing these wildlife assets through the construction of customized lodges surrounded by ponds, water features and trails. Novel viewing blinds and observation towers may be installed as needed to enhance the visitors experience. Interpretative recreational and educational trail markers and programs will be developed for groups, students and the general public.

Projects will be able to support a diversified but sustainable level of compatible economic human use as applicable and agreed upon by the stakeholders. Compatible uses may include ecotourism, lodges, ranger patrols, specialty agriculture, selective silviculture, honey production, managed butterfly collection, subsistence hunting (if applicable for limited species) and more.  

NBP has located and studied various global properties to determine which area is best suited to meet its mission and our partners long-term goals and objectives. Various site visits, research and habitat ranking models have collectively confirmed that Ghana has several high ranking properties in regards to habitat diversity, existing biodiversity and potential biodiversity (Charting a Course, H. Honigfeld, 1997), (A Computerized Method of Priority Ranking For Natural Areas, L. Duever and R. Noss, 1990), (NBP Property Ranking Model, unpublished).  This country was therefore chosen to receive some of our firm’s management attention and efforts.

Ghana is one of the most convenient countries in West Africa to visit for North American, South American and European travelers. English is widely spoken in Ghana and it is one of the more friendly countries in Africa. The area possesses part of two important, dominant and large biomes in Africa, the Guinea-Congo Forest and the Sudan-Guinea Savanna.    

Each of these biomes has unique biodiversity that ecotravelers like to see and photograph. The average ecotourist has a high per capita income; they each spend many thousands of Cedis, Euros, US dollars, etc. a year while visiting interesting Ghanaian project areas with good and improving wildlife assets or specials biodiversity. 

NBP plans on publicizing and reporting on its important projects and partners in Ghana as biodiversity successes and discoveries develop. NBP is staffed with a unique blend of scientists, writers and awarded marketers. Any conservation project the stakeholders substantially advance in Ghana will undoubtedly improve the general opinion tourists have of visiting Ghana and even someday investing in sustainable projects in the country.   

Ghana has historically been blessed with many wonderful animals important to its long culture but extensive logging, some deforestation and human population growth has decreased almost all species. Certain valuable animal species may be extirpated in Ghana unless projects like the one proposed are embraced and supported. Once species disappear from an area it is nearly impossible to reestablish most species with out spending large amounts of money. It is now a global concept that it is strategic and budget conscious to protect animal species and forests before they reach critically low numbers. Ghana is certainly at a crossroads for a diverse economy that integrates sustainable forestry, specialty forest-interior agriculture and ecotourism.
   

Presently Ghana has a high relative biodiversity in Africa and globally for all taxa, animals and plants, as can be seen by the following graphs which are for:

A Vascular Plants

B Vertebrates

C Amphibians

D Reptiles

E Birds

F Mammals

Observing, photographing or recording lists of all bird species seen, commonly called twitching, bird watching, birding or nature photography is an important part of ecotourism. Ghana is presently known by some international birders and ecotourists but it is not strongly marketed or recognized as a great birding destination even though it deserves that recognition.

NBP has traveled to scores of countries and reviewed many ecotourism efforts. NBP has successfully established and restored a large park in the USA. Our board intimately knows the conservation and ecotourism market and how to present travel destinations to the target demographic.

We shall carefully design and then pursue the restoration project. Our biologists, zoologists and board anticipate designing the project with consideration to a select handful of "highlight" species or communities of various taxa (plants, trees, reptiles, birds, mammals for example). These species and communities will be chosen to assure some local and international interest in the project.

Concurrently with the gradual progress in the project we shall be photographing and writing about the exciting birding and biodiversity in Ghana along with our important partner Mr. Kalu Afasi.

NBP has met Mr. Kalu Afasi in Ghana; he is a pioneering and pivotal birder in the country. We plan on working closely with Mr. Afasi and his associates on this project and consider them integral to its progress and ultimate success. He has shown thousands of people the treasures of Ghana; we intend to add another gem by managing  a large park for wildlife. We also intend to contact select esteemed scientists and conservationists to design, implement and advance this project.

Ghana presently provides convenient and timely access to a majority of the many West African bird endemics, as well as some sought after North African birds. Ghana has 180 of the Guinea-Congo Forests biome birds, including 12 out of the 15 Upper Guinea Forest endemics. Eleven of these endemic species are officially classified by important groups as being of global conservation concern. Bird species with these designations often get visitation and preservation attention by government departments, conservationists, birders, ecotourists and scientific researchers and students at local to international schools.

These 180 West and Central African rainforest bird species are sometimes found east into the Ugandan area; however most of them are found more easily in West Africa. Ghana is the area of choice for locating these interesting species assuming the forests can be preserved or restored. Some like the White-necked Rockfowl (Yellow-headed Picathartes, see our picture), are a member of  a unique West African family of birds and are found only in places like Ghana; it is a highlight for some ecotourists' trip to Ghana.  Our project partner, Mr. Kalu Afasi has been instrumental in gaining a better understanding of this rare species in Ghana.   

The rather compact country also houses 37 Sudan-Guinea Savanna biome birds. This biome is a linear strap of area south of the Sahel of North Africa. Some Sahel bird species also extend into Ghana, the spectacular Egyptian Plover in found in north Ghana.  

Note that each time one of the above species becomes more difficult to observe (very rare) or impossible to see (extinct) in Ghana word spreads through the many ecotourism and media outlets that discuss these unfortunate conservation developments. Each species lost makes it less and less likely that ecotourists will make the effort to travel to Ghana. Every project that successfully preserves a community of animals including birds is important to establishing a diversified economy for Ghana. Ecotourism is a recognized source of capital for many countries who have treated their significant biodiversity as the treasure it is.

Once biodiversity is lost it is almost certainly gone forever along with its everlasting and sustainable ability to attract ecotourists and their economic support of local communities.   

B. Reasons partners and stakeholders should participate in this project: Ghana has recently gone through an unprecedented period of unsustainable, heavy logging and mining which has negatively impacted its forests, wildlife, flood control capacity, top soil, erosion control, drinking water quality, etc.

These actions result in immediate and long term damaging effects to:

the resiliency and diversity of the economy
general food production
traditional hunting industry (subsistence and bush meat)
agricultural production capacity due to eroded top soil
fresh and salt water fish ecosystem productivity due to siltation and pollution
acquifer filtration and recharge rates
quality of human drinking water
health of its citizens
general tourism
ecotourism businesses and the associated travel,  hotel and restaurant businesses
natural science degree holders, students and their teachers and colleges
quality of life
and more

Presently the natural process of gradual, primary forest succession has been eliminated with the once, biodiverse forests logged resulting in a substantial loss of plant, invertebrate and vertebrate biomass and diversity. The natural biomass of Ghana may be at its lowest in twelve thousand years (or even much longer) when the West African area was likely a grass savanna during the glacial maximum.

This project will conserve and increase healthy populations of plants, invertebrates, fish and wildlife through a partnership of many individuals and groups. Stable source populations are important in counteracting loss of genetic variability, biodiversity and species extinction.  The project will establish a sustainable, protected and managed area where source populations of species will thrive and emigrate to existing or future preserved areas adjacent to the subject property.

The restoration and long term management of this park shall increase:

the resiliency and diversity of the economy
general food production
traditional hunting industry (subsistence and bush meat)
agricultural production capacity due to conservation of top soil
fresh and salt water fish ecosystem productivity due to siltation and pollution
acquifer filtration and recharge rates
quality of human drinking water
health of its citizens
general tourism to Ghana
ecotourism businesses and the associated travel,  hotel and restaurant businesses in Ghana
benefits to natural science degree holders, students and their teachers and colleges
quality of life for Ghanian citizens
and more
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

C. Partner Justification: NBP, Inc. is a US based federally designated non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation of biodiversity. NBP’s board and members consists of twenty professionals including biologists, zoologists, ecologists, business managers, educators, engineers, attorneys and others.

NBP is uniquely qualified and purposely designed to locate, study, restore, manage and market  important park-like areas and the species of animals that live there for the benefit of all stakeholders involved. 

NBP has completed numerous projects with large, medium and local partners such as National Fish and Wildlife Foundation , US National Park Service, United States Fish and Wildlife,  United States Department of Agriculture, NY/NJ Port Authority Harbor Heron Program, Open Space Institute, US Department of Defense, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Rahway River Watershed Association, Public Service Electric and Gas, Plumsted NJ Environmental Commission, Monmouth County Audubon, New Jersey Audubon Society, Union County NJ Department of Parks and others.

The firm is staffed with professionals and volunteers with up to 30 years of wildlife, conservation, project management and restoration experience including 15 years of non-profit and direct park management experience. Budgets, fundraising campaigns and grant requests initiates have been prepared and successfully completed.  Our lead zoologist has over 40 years field experience in auditory and field identification of North American and International birds and animals. He has designed and completed many biodiversity-centric projects ; he has lead and managed several hundred field days of formal wildlife surveys and acoustical based population studies under federal Dept. of Defense, USFWS and/or Dept. of Interior permits and contracts. He has authored many articles on zoological, avian and ecological topics.

For several years, under federal contract, he was lead investigator for multiple teams performing acoustical point surveys for NJ birds under USFWS protocol. These projects were completed on restricted land that had limited access due to its importance to the US and the conservation community. For five other field studies he was lead scientist of teams on federally permitted, acoustical studies on restricted US National Park Service lands for extremely rare, endangered bird species.

He has led scores of domestic and international trips, studies and expeditions in ~ 35 countries. He performed many years of acoustical field work that led to teams he organized taking top honors five times in the NJ Audubon's World Series of Birding annual conservation funddraiser. He has led and organized field teams  that hold ~ 15 American Birding Association published field records such as most species of birds ever recorded in any one day in January in New Jersey, most species of birds ever recorded in any one day in February in New Jersey, most species of birds ever recorded in any one day in April in New Jersey, etc., continuing through most months of the year. He has led and organized field teams  that hold various county records in NJ such as most bird species every recorded in any single day in each of Monmouth County, Union Cty. and Sussex Cty, NJ.

In 2009 he summated years of field work by himself and scientists with a public State of Biodiversity presentation (picture below). The changes in historic community species composition of beetles and wood warblers in the Watchung and South Mountain Reservations were used to illustrate the effects of forest, understory degradation.

In the last 24 months he discovered the most breeding Hooded Mergansers and young ever in NJ, recorded the most Cerulean Warblers, a pending federally endangered species, in one day in NJ, and discovered the first active nest of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in Passaic County, NJ in ~ 125 years.

NBP is uniquely qualified and purposely designed to locate, study, restore, manage and market  important species of animals and the parks they live in for all stakeholders involved. 

Mr. Kalu Afasi is degreed in Banking and Finance; he has developed a keen interest in ornithology and the avifauna of West Africa and especially Ghana. His business and natural history background led to him starting Malimbe Tours and successfully operating it for ever a decade. He is recognized as one of the outstanding field birders in Ghana.

He has led hundreds of tours and thousands of ecotourists to many destinations in West Africa. He graciously shared his knowledge by personally training several tour guides in West Africa and especially Ghana. 

The discovery of Green Bee-eater in Ghana is largely through his efforts; from an ecological perspective he correctly surmised that the species was likely in Ghana. He integrated the search for this species into his ecotourism business in northern Ghana eventually recording the species near the Tono Dam. He was also instrumental in the discovery of the first Pectoral Sandpiper ever recorded in Ghana at Sakumono Lagoon.

To encourage the people in the area visited by bird watchers to protect their forest Malimbe tours has taken up the payment of school fees and provision of school materials for some of the youths in the local towns and villages. Malimbe tours has also supported many people who are in need including those who required special operations. 

                                                                                                                                                                    D.  Final Product: Short term, this project will assure the preservation and management of a large property in Ghana. Areas that will support different habitat types will be identified and development of the natural community will commence. Components such as areas of specialized agriculture, honey production, hunting etc, ed with imination of government subsidized farming on the property.  Fifty-three acres of presently farmed wetlands will be enhanced and managed to produce more natural conditions and communities.  Long term, the project will establish varied ecological communities through management which will increase the area’s biodiversity.  Desired taxa and species will be actively managed for, with ongoing monitoring and data gathering.  The property’s natural assets will be showcased with engineered blinds and various low-impact viewing structures.  Recreational and educational programs will be developed to generate and attract grass-root support and foster a conservation ethic in citizens of all ages.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

III.  Proposal:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                A.  Project Needs: