Between October 2025 and June 2026, the Beninese association BEES ONG (Benin Environment and Education Society) carried out the second phase of the “Acting for Nature Conservation” project, led by PAPACO/Play for Nature in partnership with Youth Conservation and the Fondation Audemars-Watkins. Five schools across the communes of Kétou, Porto-Novo and Sô-Ava took part — including, as the standout addition of this second phase, the Collège des Sourds et Entendants du Bénin (CSEB), the first specialized school to join the project.
Five schools, three communes, one shared commitment
In Sô-Ava, discovering Lake Nokoué
At the École Primaire Publique de Kpafè, the youngest participants explored their natural heritage through two field outings on Lake Nokoué. Students learned to use binoculars and identify water birds — the Black Heron, Slaty Egret, and Pied Kingfisher — by name in both French and their local language, followed by a nature-drawing workshop for World Migratory Bird Day: forty schoolchildren produced forty original artworks, each able to name at least three migratory species from memory.
In Kétou, a sacred forest as the common thread
Across the three secondary schools of Kétou (CEG 3, CEG Ewè, CEG Adakplamè), the project drew on a strong local landmark: the Kouvizoun sacred forest. An environmental education session first raised awareness among 500 students and 15 teachers about the threats facing the forest — bushfires and plastic pollution. Students then set up school gardens, combining theory and hands-on training, with seed distribution and protective fencing provided. The season closed with an inter-school arts competition (singing, dance, theatre, spoken-word poetry) that drew more than 500 members of surrounding communities to the forest — and with National Tree Day, when 900 saplings were planted and individually sponsored by students.
In Porto-Novo, a first for inclusion
The major new development of this second phase took place at the Collège des Sourds et Entendants du Bénin. For the first time, BEES ONG designed its activities for a mixed group of deaf and hearing students: a nature class on aquatic biodiversity supported by a sign language interpreter, a session on wetlands and traditional knowledge that closed with an advocacy message signed by the students, and training in setting up school tree nurseries. The standout result: CSEB students independently grew 500 young trees (Gmelina, Ceiba, Eucalyptus, Tectona) in their own nursery, later planted for International Biodiversity Day.
Phase 2 key figures
- 459 people reached through direct engagement — students and teachers across the five schools
- Over 2,000 people reached overall, including local communities and social media audiences
- Over 2,000 trees planted across both phases of the project, spanning eight threatened local species (Khaya senegalensis, Afzelia africana, Vène, Fromager, Samba, Gmelina, Eucalyptus, Tectona) — a ninth, Mansonia altissima, endemic to Adakplamè, was targeted but its seeds were unavailable during the project period
- Over 500 members of surrounding communities gathered for the arts competition in Kétou, a marked jump in scale compared to Phase 1
- One inclusive environmental club established at CSEB, alongside the three clubs already active in Kétou since Phase 1
Two obstacles, two practical solutions
The school exam calendar. The first Phase 2 activities coincided with end-of-year exams. BEES ONG adjusted its schedule to respect schools’ rhythms without disrupting students.
Communicating with CSEB. At the outset, the team had no sign language skills. The solution came from the ground: working hand in hand with the school’s teachers, who co-led sessions alongside BEES and translated messages for students.
Phase 1 vs. Phase 2: what changed
Compared to the first phase, BEES ONG secured water access upfront — repairing the CEG Ewè borehole and installing a water tank at CEG 3 Kétou — avoiding the shortages that had slowed nursery growth in Phase 1. Artistic events proved to be an unexpectedly powerful mobilization tool, drawing more than 500 local residents around the Kouvizoun forest. And above all, welcoming CSEB made the project more open — proof, in BEES ONG’s words, that disability is no barrier to environmental engagement. The one trade-off: this inclusion required heavier logistics, from adapting teaching tools to extra preparation time.
Before and after the project
Before, threatened local species were often known only by their vernacular names, and awareness of the dangers of bushfires and plastic bags remained limited.
After, a generation of trained eco-ambassadors now runs Environmental Clubs installed in all five schools. Every tree planted has a student sponsor committed to its long-term care. School directors have pledged to build these clubs into the regular school calendar, and a capitalization film will document the full journey.
Conclusion
In BEES ONG’s own words, the project has helped the organization strengthen its expertise in inclusive, arts-based environmental education — proving that youth, art, and local institutions together form a powerful lever for turning students into genuine biodiversity ambassadors in Benin.
Want to follow the next steps of the “Acting for Nature Conservation” project? Discover all ten partner NGOs’ initiatives at youth-conservation.org.
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