The Environmental Rescue Project is a youth-led, community-driven initiative designed to restore 500 acres of severely degraded farmland in five mining-affected towns within Nimiyama Chiefdom, Kono District, Eastern Sierra Leone. For more than two decades, large-scale gold and diamond mining has left behind a legacy of deforestation, soil infertility, and contaminated water sources, threatening the livelihoods of over 5,000 local residents who depend on farming, fishing, and small-scale livestock rearing.

To reverse this trend, the project takes a data-driven and participatory approach. Using GPS mapping, drone surveys, and soil testing kits, degraded sites are identified, analyzed, and prioritized for restoration. This scientific process ensures that interventions are tailored to local conditions and maximize long-term environmental and agricultural impact.

At the heart of the project is community empowerment. Youth, women, and smallholder farmers are trained to establish and manage community-based nurseries that produce native trees, nitrogen-fixing crops, and erosion-control species. These nurseries not only provide seedlings for restoration but also create green jobs and sustainable livelihood opportunities.

Once seedlings are cultivated, communities lead the replanting of native species across degraded lands, restoring soil fertility, enhancing biodiversity, and improving water retention. This effort directly contributes to climate adaptation, helping communities withstand floods, droughts, and other climate-related shocks.

To ensure sustainability, each town establishes an Environmental Protection Committee (EPC), bringing together youth, women, and traditional leaders. These committees monitor progress, enforce local bylaws on land use, and champion environmental stewardship, ensuring the project’s impact continues well beyond its initial phase.

By combining technology, local knowledge, and grassroots leadership, the Environmental Rescue Project addresses urgent challenges of food insecurity, environmental injustice, and climate vulnerability. It represents not just an environmental intervention, but a movement toward equity, resilience, and community-led development in Sierra Leone.