Organizers hope the initiative will inspire a new generation of young Ghanaians
British author and environmental advocate Catherine Barr has called on Ghanaians, particularly young people, to take an active interest in protecting the country’s endangered wildlife species.
Her appeal came during the launch of a new children’s book titled “Let’s Discover Wildlife in Ghana” in Accra.
The 48-page illustrated book, produced by Adwinsa Publications Limited in collaboration with Pangolin_Gh, the UK-based charity Gower St and local conservation groups A Rocha Ghana and Herp Ghana, seeks to nurture a culture of environmental awareness among schoolchildren.
Barr explained that the book celebrates Ghana’s rich biodiversity while drawing attention to the threats facing many of its unique species.
“This book is all about protecting, understanding, and celebrating wildlife in Ghana, and showing what communities across the country are doing to help safeguard endangered species,” she said.
According to her, the writing team worked closely with Ghanaian scientists to identify the ten species featured in the book including the pangolin, chimpanzee, forest elephant, tawny eagle, Togo slippery frog, hinge-back tortoise, hippopotamus, sea turtle, manatee and slender-snouted crocodile. Each species was selected based on its conservation importance and vulnerability.
“The main reason many of these animals are disappearing is habitat destruction,” Barr noted.
“But we also wanted to highlight the positive actions that local communities are taking to protect them.”
Her UK-based colleague, Faith Barcroft, emphasised that the project was designed to reach children in underserved communities.
She said the books would be distributed free of charge to schools, libraries, and local communities across the country.
“There’s such a shortage of reading materials on the environment in many Ghanaian schools,” Barcroft said.
“We hope to expand the project with another print run so more children can benefit.”
Chief Executive Officer of Adwinsa Publications, Kwaku Oppong-Amponsah, said the initiative reflects the company’s long-standing commitment to producing educational content that addresses pressing national issues.
“We specialise in publishing books that tackle the challenges facing our society, especially those that affect children,” he said.
“This project adds to our mission of raising awareness about environmental and social concerns.”
The launch of “Let’s Discover Wildlife in Ghana” marks a significant step in advancing environmental education and conservation advocacy.
Organizers hope the initiative will inspire a new generation of young Ghanaians to become passionate defenders of the nation’s endangered species and natural habitats.
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