Group marks Earth Hour Day, showcases LUFASI Park

It was fun all through last weekend as scores of nature lovers and environmental enthusiasts gathered at the Lekki Urban Forest Animal Sanctuary (LUFASI) and Park, for its first green hour picnic to celebrate “2016 Earth Hour Day”.

LUFASI is a non-governmental organization, under the tutelage of a foremost environmentalist, Mr. Desmond Majekodunmi, who is a director in the organisation.

Located in Abijo along Lekki-Epe expressway, the 20- hectare park, described by nature enthusiasts as “nature hotspot”, and a requisite escape from the hustle and bustle of Lagos metropolis, the supposed Africa’s largest commercial nerve centre.

The park boasts of green scenery, play and relaxation parks, animal sanctuary, fern gardens, forest and some of the last remaining populations of the highly endangered Ekki “Iron wood” tree, the threatened hooded vulture and lesser hornbill.

LUFASI also provides a unique space for eco-touristic activities including horse riding, nature reserve tours, recreation and retreats. It also offers bird-watchers, photographers, video directors and film producers a unique opportunity because of its unmatched ambience and unique natural landscape.

“Most importantly, the park serves as a living laboratory for agricultural, ecological, environmental and veterinary education in Nigeria, according to its management”, enthused Majekodunmi, who was regarded as “an environmentalist per excellence”.

The ‘lungs’ of Lekki, as the park is fondly called, opened its gates to over 100 members of the green hour family for the first nature picnic of its kind in Lagos.

After a brief introduction of LUFASI and the organization’s activities, the guests planted trees as contribution to the massive reforestation campaign and Ekki regeneration project embarked upon by the NGO, as its own contribution to the Nigerian Conservation Foundation’s (NCF) national forest regeneration programme.

Guests thereafter embarked on a tour of the urban forest punctuated only by the sights and sounds of monkeys, goats, horses, donkeys and a civet cat, all rescued from the claws of abuse or death.

According to Majekodunmi, “Since its opening in 2014, LUFASI Nature Park has welcomed thousands of tourists and school children who came to explore the benefits of nature at the park, where a fully-equipped playground allows children to play comfortably in nature while their parents or teachers have things of interest to relax with.

“Environmental stewardship and creation care are the fundamental virtues of all LUFASI operations and activities. Humans have gone too far down the path of environmental destruction and this goes against our essence as stewards of the Earth.”