Environmentalists from different parts of Nigeria have urged the African Union (AU) to adopt a strong policy for African wildlife conservation, prevent the extinction of African elephants, and promote waste-to-wealth artwork.
A former Ondo State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Funso Esan, and the state Goodwill Ambassador for Environment, Ms. Olayemi Olapeju, among other environmentalists made the plea during the environmental art initiative titled “No To Extinction or L’extinction.”
The art initiative saw a scrapped Skyworth TV screen elevated to priceless canvas to unveil American eagle coins thorncarving. The art exhibition was also to sensitize the public on the importance of wildlife conservation and waste to wealth
inventiveness.
In his address, Dr. Esan urged the African Union to adopt a strong policy for African wildlife conservation, like what the United States of America did to restore the bald eagles in America, which were once teetering on the brink of extinction and have now made a significant comeback.
Esan explained that both African Bush Elephants and African Forest elephants were decimated by habitat destruction and illegal shooting, which was causing their population to decline.
His words, “Extinction is forever, and the wildlife’s current endangered state means there is still hope to pull the wildlife back from the brink of extinction, so we need concerted efforts of both government and the public for our wildlife to be protected.
“The thorncarving coins artwork we are showcasing today, which features the stately image of the celebrity United States of America bald eagle, which is glued on the screen of discarded Skyworth television screen is to exemplify both waste to wealth initiative and how wildlife that are at the risk of disappearing completely can soar back like we saw the soaring back of bald eagle bird in America.
“In 2008, the USA government minted coins featuring a bald eagle image to commemorate the return of bald eagles to America, so in due course, African Bush and Forest Elephants’ return from endangerment will become a success story too”
Olapeju told the audience that the artwork was created by No To Extinction or L’extinction artist from Ondo State, and the aim was to address the near extinction of African Elephants and promote waste-to-wealth artwork.
She complained that the trees that produced the thorns used for carving the American coins have almost disappeared from our forest due to deforestation.
According to her, it took almost two years to gather the few thorns that she and her fellow artists, Mrs. Bolajoko Ayeni and Mr. Charles Olulaja Akeredolu, son of thorn carving inventor late Chief J. D. Akeredolu, used for reinventing thorn carving.
Olapeju said “We used the eagle coins thorn carving to illustrate wildlife that has made a strong return from the brink of extinction, and we transformed junked television screen into valuable art canvas as part of waste-to-wealth artistic creativity to reduce
environmental impact of non-biodegradable electronics on our landfill.”
A former art teacher at Methodist High School Owo, Mr Charles Olulaja Akeredolu explained that the rarity of thorn trees was the major obstacle to the disappearance of thorn carving that his father invented in the 1930s, which originated almost the same time that the Lego toy was created by late Mr. Ole Kirk Kristiansen and that he immersed himself in using thorncarving for creating unique pieces to resuscitate artistic growth of thorn carving.
Also, an environmental artist, Mrs. Bokajoko Taiwo Ayeni, described thorncarving as environmentally friendly. She said trees were not cut down for carving. Only the thorns that grew on the trees were removed, and the tree will still continue to grow.
She said, “Trees are viable nature-based Climate Change Solutions, and all proceeds from the sales of thorncarving artwork will be utilized to plant thorn trees as our way of giving something back to nature, at the same time making an active contribution to restoring thorn carving for environmental sustainability.”
Echezona Okafor.
