As part of efforts to combat environmental degradation, improve the country's ecosystem and biodiversity, and mitigate the negative effects of climate change, over 1,123 children have participated in a biodiversity tour at the Safari Valley Eco Park.

The tours took place on different occasions, with over one hundred students from WestSide Basic School, Accra visiting the facility on Friday, 4th April.

This initiative was organised by Multimedia Group Limited (MLG) in collaboration with the managers of Safari Valley Eco Resort.

The project aims to nurture the next generation of environmental stewards, particularly targeting students from underprivileged schools and areas affected by illegal mining (Galamsey) across the country.

The Eco Initiative focuses on providing immersive, hands-on environmental education experiences at Safari Valley Eco Park.

Students from Accra College of Education Experimental School, Morning Star Basic School, and Ayalolo SDA School in Accra have also visited the resort to learn about biodiversity.

The tour allows these children, mostly from primary schools, to explore the country's rich biodiversity, engage in conservation activities, and gain a deeper understanding of Ghana’s pressing environmental challenges, such as water pollution, deforestation, and climate change.

At the end of Friday's tour, one of the beneficiaries, a Form 3 student from WestSide School, Inusah Amira Danjuma, shared her experience: "I wasn't expecting to see all these natural things, but I have seen so much and learned a lot today. I never knew that zebras open their eyes while sleeping, but today I learned that they do, and they stand while sleeping instead of lying on the ground. I also learned that they can travel at 70 kilometres per hour, and I've discovered so many other things."

"I wasn’t expecting to see other types of birds. At home, I only know the local birds, but here I saw the Silkie bird, which has many feathers. I’ve never sat on a horse before, but I got to sit on one here, and it made me really happy," said another student, Iddrisu Shafiu Ango, in an interview with Myjoyonline.

Frida Max-Fugar, the school's administrator, expressed gratitude for the opportunity, thanking Multimedia Group Limited and Safari Valley Eco Resort for the initiative.

She also thanked both organisations and believed that the students had gained valuable knowledge from the experience.

A staff member, Patience Avuvor, mentioned that the school had previously taken a similar tour to Kantanka Automobile, where students were exposed to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

She noted that Friday's tour aligned with the objectives of the initiative by the two organisations.

David Max-Fugar, General Manager of Sales and Customer Service at Multimedia Group Limited, revealed that the goal is to bring a total of 100,000 children to the facility by the end of 2025.

He explained that the tours would continue on Fridays throughout the year until the target is met.

The Eco Park, nestled in the mountains of Adukrom in the Eastern Region, is home to a wide variety of animal breeds from Africa and other parts of the world. It also hosts numerous species of trees, including endangered varieties.