Specialized training programs in Cameroon and in Quebec, the creation of a micro-enterprise for wood residue reclamation, the development of non-timber forest products (NTFP) and the rearing of giant snails. Several promising opportunities emerged from the international development mission to Cameroon conducted by the Lac-Saint-Jean Model Forest (LSJMF), the Cégep of Saint-Félicien and the Pays-des-Bleuets School Board based in Quebec, Canada, from July 13 to 25.

For example, during the first mission to Cameroon earlier this year, representatives from LSJMF helped develop a project for the manufacturing of high-end wooden pens made from wood residue in Dja et Mpomo Model Forest. The profits generated by this project can be reinvested into the creation of other wood residue products, such as beehives and edible snails.

In a second site, Campo Ma’an Model Forest, 25 snails were domesticated for a research project and, after two years, the edible snail population has grown to 6,000! This mission was carried out through a partnership between the LSJMF, the Cameroon Model Forests (Dja et Mpomo, Campo Ma’am), the African Model Forest Network (AMFN) and the International Model Forest Network (IMFN) Secretariat based at Natural Resources Canada’s Canadian Forest Service.