Forever Cornwall partner with the Pole Pole Foundation (POPOF), an award-winning gorilla conservation charity that works to protect the rainforest and critically endangered Eastern Lowland Grauer’s gorillas in the Democratic Republican of the Congo. The numbers of these beautiful species have fallen dramatically following decades of deforestation and poaching, compounded by years of civil unrest in the region. Since 2017, we have planted over 60,000 trees with POPOF, working to create a buffer zone between the rainforest and the community, and providing a sustainable source of charcoal and timber.

 Their most recent donations to the Pole Pole Foundation meant that they planted 10,000 trees in the last year. The saplings are grown in the POPOF nursery, providing employment to local women, then distributed to members of the community to plant. Fruit trees are now included in the mix of species — part of multi-strand work that includes anti-poaching messages, tackling malnutrition, healthy diet education, and building plant-based food resources. Support has also been given to a women's sewing group, which encourages women’s enterprise. They have been sewing school uniforms for children attending the POPOF-run schools.

Some of their donations have been invested in beehives for local people. When people enter the forest for honey (which is illegal) they often also lay snares and cut down trees, so this project helps to keep them out of the forest and provides a source of income and nutrition. 

Closer to home, Forever Cornwall have enabled over 500 trees in Cornwall through the Field to Forest Foundation. Smaller projects are targeted at “getting trees planted that wouldn’t otherwise have been planted”. 

They have also just partnered with The Wave Project, which is a fantastic charity that strives to improve the mental health of children and young people through the power of surf therapy. The Forever Cornwall team will work with the guys at TWP to assist in aiding children in their surf therapy sessions. 

Find out more here