Ecophilic Network

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🚨 New Report Alert: The Dragonflies of Obudu Cattle Ranch Need Us 🚨For 5 years we’ve been listening, watching, and worki...
20/07/2026

🚨 New Report Alert: The Dragonflies of Obudu Cattle Ranch Need Us 🚨

For 5 years we’ve been listening, watching, and working with communities in Obudu Ranch.

The result? Our first Community Stakeholders’ Report is out.

Here’s what we found so far:
âť— Six (6) threatened odonate (dragonfly and damselfly) species have been found in Obudu Ranch over the years
âť— Two (2) of them are Critically Endangered and ONLY found in Obudu Ranch
âť— The biggest threats: dry season bush burning and deforestation

But it’s not just about insects. In community meetings, the people told us about the tough choices they face: land for farming, grass for cattle, and the need for better livelihood options.

This report shares their voices and offers real, practical solutions so that people and nature can thrive together.

This is for you if you care about Obudu Ranch, about Cross River State, about conservation, and about sustainable communities.

👉 Download the full report for FREE in the link below: https://ecophilicnetwork.org/voices-from-obudu-ranch-community-stakeholders-report-highlights-major-threats-to-6-odonates/

Please share this. The people of Obudu Ranch deserve to be heard!


05/06/2026

by . For . For Our .
This year's theme says it all.

And what better way to live it than by taking the message straight to the classroom? 🏫✨

Ecophilic Scientific Research and Innovations visited Adventist Secondary School, Ile-Ife, Osun State today to and the next generation of environmental champions. Because starts with awareness, and awareness starts with young minds. 🌱💚

The future of our planet is in their hands. We're making sure they're ready. 🙌

Today, in commemoration of World Environment Day, our team engaged approximately 250 students at Adventist Secondary Sch...
05/06/2026

Today, in commemoration of World Environment Day, our team engaged approximately 250 students at Adventist Secondary School, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, with a view to raising awareness about climate change and environmental sustainability among young learners.
Through engaging discussions and interactive sessions, we empowered students with knowledge about the causes, impacts, and solutions to climate change, which is the focus of World Environment Day 2026. We believe that educating and inspiring the next generation is essential to building a more sustainable and climate-resilient future.
Together, we can nurture environmental stewards who will champion positive change in their communities and beyond.
Together, we can inspire the next generation to protect our planet and build a more resilient future.

World Wetlands Day 2026: Celebrating Wetlands and Traditional KnowledgeOn World Wetlands Day, we celebrate wetlands and ...
02/02/2026

World Wetlands Day 2026: Celebrating Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge

On World Wetlands Day, we celebrate wetlands and the people who protect them. 🌿

Through conservation education and citizen science, we work with local communities to document inland biodiversity, share traditional ecological knowledge, and build collective stewardship for Nigeria’s wetlands.

When science meets tradition, wetlands thrive.

The Need to Designate More in — A Call to ActionOver the past seven years, our team has had the privilege of explori...
09/12/2025

The Need to Designate More in — A Call to Action

Over the past seven years, our team has had the privilege of exploring some of Nigeria’s most remote yet ecologically significant freshwater ecosystems. These include rare geomorphological and hydrological systems, as well as habitats supporting and freshwater invertebrates, particularly damselflies, along Nigeria’s border with Cameroon.

Some of the priority sites we have assessed include:
🌿 (Kwara State)
🌿 (Ekiti State)
🌿 (Cross River State)
🌿 (Ekiti State)
🌿 (Cross River State)
🌿 freshwater systems (Cross River State)
🌿 of

Our findings have been published in reputable international journals, and we have also engaged in public science communication through The Conversation Africa and of the locals. In addition, we presented these research outcomes to the Conservator-General of the .

Across all publications and advocacies, our message has been consistent: Nigeria urgently needs to designate these wetlands as .

The presence of in several of these ecosystems strongly satisfies key Ramsar criteria. Their unique geomorphological and hydrological features further elevate their conservation value. We are encouraged that Nigeria’s number of Ramsar sites has recently increased from 11 to 17, and pleased that one of our study areas, , is among the newly designated sites.

However, based on ’s data and conservation indices employed in assessing the sites, we firmly believe that the additional sites listed above also merit Ramsar designation and should be evaluated without delay.

***Continued in the comments section***

19/11/2025

Dear , , and ,
Our for the month of is specially dedicated to you!

đź“Ť
Saturday, November 29, 2025
3pm WAT

This time, our webinar will take place on

Please check the flyer for more details

Still in the spirit of acknowledging the role of community stakeholders in conservation, we celebrate our incredible par...
09/11/2025

Still in the spirit of acknowledging the role of community stakeholders in conservation, we celebrate our incredible partners who have supported our project to conserve the of the , funded by The Rufford Foundation, MBZ Species Conservation Fund, and Idea Wild.

Among our key stakeholders in Obanliku Local Government, we especially appreciate Mr. Kevin Eyos, President of the Obudu Plateau/Ranch Youths and pioneer president of the
(ODDCC). His exceptional knowledge of the terrain has been instrumental in our team’s search for the Critically Endangered Obudu Relic Damselfly ( ), which further revealed new locations of the Vulnerable Red Relic, Pentaphlebia stahli. Kevin also motivates local community members, many of whom are ODDCC members, to observe and document odonates and share their records on citizen science platforms like iNaturalist.

We also recognize Mr. Sabastine Boakem,
, whose expertise in local logistics ensures seamless fieldwork and community engagement. By participating in surveys, Sabastine gains hands-on skills in ecology and conservation, including macrophotography, species identification, water quality assessments, and conservation education.

Special thanks to Mr. Godwin Ikpeh of the , who provides valuable access and guidance to critical habitats like and
. We also commend Goodluck Agona, a young and enthusiastic participant who engages in all our activities whenever he is not in school. His passion for conservation and eagerness to learn make him a promising future champion for local biodiversity.

Whether in the field or virtually, our conversations with these young stakeholders are always fruitful. While we learn about the culture, geography, and local ecological knowledge, they gain insight into odonate diversity, conservation status, threats, and solutions!

When Community Wisdom Meets Conservation ScienceIn 2020, just after the -19 , our team, supported by British Ecologica...
24/10/2025

When Community Wisdom Meets Conservation Science

In 2020, just after the -19 , our team, supported by British Ecological Society, set out to explore across Nigeria’s vegetation zones, to highlight their beyond their value as attractions.

One of our planned sites, , became inaccessible due to heavy water discharge. Seeing our disappointment, our local guide, , suggested we visit a little-known site nearby, i.e., .

That decision changed everything.
turned out to harbour a species, , and surprisingly, there was no prior record of the site online.

This moment reminded us that is vital for modern conservation. Without Emmanuel’s insight, this ecosystem might have remained hidden. How many such sites are there throughout the ? They are rich in biodiversity yet go unreported, and their rare species could be extinct before we ever realise it.

At Ecophilic Scientific Research and Innovations (ESRI), we continue to champion community-driven conservation, bridging science and local wisdom to protect biodiversity.

🌍 Learn more: www.ecophilicnetwork.com

#2026: The -Osogbo Sacred River and Grove, a UNESCO , is not only a cultural landmark of the Yoruba people but a...
28/09/2025

#2026:

The -Osogbo Sacred River and Grove, a UNESCO , is not only a cultural landmark of the Yoruba people but also a global destination. Each year, thousands gather to celebrate its significance.

Yet, beneath this cultural pride lies an ecological tragedy.

Once clear and life-sustaining, the river has remained permanently turbid since being impacted, with depleted oxygen levels, alarming heavy metal concentrations, and the disappearance of key species that signal good water quality.

Our team has conducted several works on the river since 2015 before the river became heavily impacted. Our baseline data and recent data show the river’s ecological integrity has been severely degraded, mpacting biodiversity (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121470) and portending grave implications for human health.

This is not just an environmental issue; it’s a human one. Communities in the basin depend on the river for irrigation, and some even drink from it, believing in its mystical powers. As local women told us during fieldwork: "Help us appeal to the authorities to restore our river.”

This , we stand with the Osun traditional communities, farmers, river-dependent consumers, and ecotourists by joining our voices with theirs and chanting this year’s theme: , .

The of our is the health of our future.

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