The initiative “Acting for Nature Conservation – Educating and Empowering Future Eco-Citizens in Africa”, launched some months ago in partnership with the Audemars Watkins Foundation and Play for Nature, is already showing promising results on the ground!
This initiative supports 10 NGOs actively working in Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon, Senegal, and Madagascar. Their shared mission: raising youth awareness about environmental preservation through educational and engaging activities.
Numerous initiatives have already been rolled out. Despite the intense heat and heavy rains, children and young people are enthusiastic, school administrators and teachers are highly involved, and the NGOs are more motivated than ever!
Today, we shine a spotlight on the first activities carried out by the NGO BEES (Benin Education and Environment Society) !
🌿 Young Nature Ambassadors: First Steps of the “Acting for Nature Conservation” Project in Benin
As part of its “Acting for Nature Conservation” project, BEES NGO has launched its very first field activities alongside students and teachers from CEG 3, Ewè, and Adakplamé in the commune of Kétou, as well as primary school pupils from Kpafè in the commune of Sô-Ava. This promising initiative aims to raise awareness and engage younger generations in the protection of the sacred forest of Kouvizoun and the Lower Valley of the Ouémé Biosphere Reserve, both rich in ecological and cultural value.
🌱 Nature Classes to Reconnect Youth with Their Natural Heritage
The on-site activities took the form of interactive nature classes, during which students explored:
- Local plant species and their ecological roles,
- Endangered and endemic species within the Indigenous and Community Conserved Area (ICCA) of Kouvizoun,
- The importance of trees, birds, and overall biodiversity.
The goal was clear: to train students to become environmental ambassadors, capable of raising awareness within their families and communities. By highlighting local environmental challenges, the BEES NGO team planted the seeds of sustainable civic engagement.
🌍 School Gardens for Ecological Restoration
In Kétou, an innovative action was introduced: the creation of ecological school gardens. These learning spaces will be used to grow threatened native plant species, which will later be reintroduced into their natural habitats through reforestation initiatives.
With the support of 15 mobilized teachers, over 800 students actively participated. Environmental clubs in the schools were strengthened and equipped, becoming true hubs of green action within the institutions.
🐦 A Growing Awareness
The impact is already visible: beyond the environmental club members, many other students showed strong interest in the initiative. Remarkably, some even pledged to stop hunting birds, a powerful gesture showing their willingness to contribute to the preservation of the Lower Ouémé Valley.
Though these are only the first steps, they represent a genuine and growing awareness. They lay the foundation for a long-term youth movement for nature, one that promotes intergenerational knowledge transmission and the valorization of local heritage.
BEES NGO firmly believes that youth are the key to a sustainable ecological future. Through education, action, and awareness, the “Acting for Nature Conservation” project proves that another relationship with nature is possible — more respectful, more conscious, and more committed.
Kudos to all the BEES volunteers for their incredible energy and commitment to empowering young people and protecting the environment!
If you’d like to learn more about their organization, feel free to reach out via email at
bees@bees-ong.org or through their Facebook page.