June 5 is World Environment Day, a day of local and global action to celebrate, conserve, and enjoy this wonderful place we call home.  In Gamba, Gabon, the local environmental education group Ibonga organizes activities to clean up the town, protect endangered species, and help residents and visitors alike learn about and conserve an incredible area of Central Africa.  Serving in the Peace Corps in Gamba, I learned from Ibonga how local fishermen manage their fisheries, how farmers plant manioc and plantains, and how wildlife acts as both a tourism draw and a challenge to plantations.  I thought I’d share a few pictures from past Journées Mondiale de l’Environnement.  My book, Glimpses through the Forest: Memories of Gabon, recounts more Ibonga and other Gabonese stories.

Pirogue race on the Ndougou Lagoon (photo by Davy Mbouity)

Beach Clean Up (photo by Davy Mbouity)

Volleyball match celebrating a cleaner beach (photo by Davy Mbouity) (I’m in the green shirt on the far side of the net)