Hazell Shokellu Thompson was born and educated in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He obtained BSc (Hons) and MSc degrees from the University of Sierra Leone (USL) and a PhD from the Open University, UK. He taught Zoology at USL before undertaking a 20-year career in international conservation with BirdLife International. He served as a Global Director and then Interim CEO of BirdLife International.
Papanie Bai-Sesay obtained BSc (Hons) in Applied Ecology from Njala University, Sierra Leone. After teaching Secondary School Biology in Blama, he started his conservation career with the Gola Rain Forest project and the Tacugama Sanctuary. He has had a 10 year career with the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone where he has served as Project Manager and Senior Biodiversity Officer.
Andrea Haffner was born and educated in Freetown, Sierra Leone, gained a BA Division One (Geography) from the University of Sierra Leone, and an MSc in Education for Sustainability from London South Bank University. She started her conservation career as a Conservation Officer at the NPAA then served as a Conservation Project Coordinator at CSSL. She is now Environmental Specialist at CEMMATS, an Engineering, Environmental and Project Management Consultancy Firm.
Momoh Bai-Sesay was born and educated in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He undertook Certificate Training at MMCE&T and the Ministry of Tourism Cultural Affairs as a Bird Watching Tourist Guide. He is also trained in Biodiversity Surveys and Birds Identification Techniques. He works as a Tourist Guide, Wildlife Expert and Tour Operator in Sierra Leone and has been the African Bird Club Representative for Sierra Leone since 2007.
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“We for nature, Nature for us.” is our slogan. We believe that if we support nature and conserve biodiversity, nature will provide us with all we need to have a better living. Therefore, the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL) was established in 1986 in response to the need for a local organisation committed to promote conservation issues in Sierra Leone.
CSSL as an Organisation
CSSL is a national non-governmental, non-profit organisation. We are a membership-based organisation open to the general public attracting people from all walks of life who are interested in biodiversity conservation.
The strategic purpose of CSSL is to ensure that perceptions, attitudes and actions of the people of Sierra Leone about conservation, wildlife and the environment are changed for a green and better future for all.
Our main objective is to promote the wise use and management of Sierra Leone’s precious natural resources through education, policy development and implementation as well as through advocacy, research and site action to conserve important and critical sites.
CSSL as a Promoter for a Sustainable and Green Future
Sierra Leone is a country dependent on its natural resources to achieve development. Mineral extraction and agriculture are the main economic drivers. In addition, majority of the population depends on fuelwood for their energy needs and subsistence agriculture, bush meat and fishing for food security. Therefore, the challenge of sustainable, ecologically sensitive development is immediate and great.
We realise that species extinction is forever and irreversible. Hence, conservation is an imperative. Planet Earth is our only home, and we depend on it: the water we drink, the air we breathe, the food we eat. Therefore, it is prudent to collectively and actively protect it for our daily livelihood and the future of our children.
CSSL as Part of an (Inter)national Network
CSSL works in collaboration with several different partners both in-country and internationally to deliver its programmes and to get its messages out. CSSL is the BirdLife Partner in Sierra Leone, and has other partnerships including grassroots community-based groups, like-minded NGOs, schools, government agencies, academic institutions, and international conservation and sustainable development organisations.
In the past three decades, CSSL has been at the forefront of efforts to protect endangered species and their habitats with support from donor partners and organizations in terms of programme funding, training and technical support.
Find out more about our work through our website: https://cs-sl.org/