Rewilding Sui River Forest Reserve in Ghana

Rewilding Sui River Forest Reserve with threatened tree species

Partner: Save Ghana Frogs
Years: 2023-2026

This project aims at propagating and planting seven priority threatened native tree species for reforestation based on their extinction risk, economic prospects, and forest ecological restoration value.

A third of Ghana’s Sui River Forest Reserve has been lost to logging, farming and wildfires with fragmentation threatening the ecosystem through drying out and increased fire risk. Species such as the Baku Tree (Tieghemella heckelii), listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, are at risk of local extinction. Additional national priority threatened tree species likely to occur are at just as much threat, as are animal species including the Critically Endangered Giant Squeaker Frog (Arthroleptis krokosua). This project prioritises seven threatened native tree species for reforestation based on their extinction risk, economic prospects, and forest ecological restoration value. Save Ghana Frogs will thus focus on five main objectives:
1 Restore a matrix of cleared forest areas, totalling 34 hectares, replanting with 42,000 native trees (of the seven tree species targeted) from community-run tree nurseries using local provenance stock, and controlling the invasive plant Chromolaena odorata.
2 Develop cowpea-native tree agroforestry management system, providing protein and income for 50 forest-dependent families.
3 Undertake a full tree survey, including community upskilling in tree identification and conservation and the development of lasting links with Ghanaian and international botanists.
4 Create individual species action plans for all priority tree species identified, including for their propagation as required, with these actions integrated with a forest management plan.
5 Generate community recognition and appreciation of threatened native trees.