Satpuda helps in sensitizing 600 Pench buffer students

Nagpur: Satpuda Foundation, an NGO working in the field of community-based wildlife conservation, is helping Pench Tiger Conservation Foundation in sensitizing 600 buffer zone students from Pench (Maharashtra) towards nature, forests and wildlife.
The ongoing program termed as ‘Nisarganubhav Shibir 2018’, which commenced on November 28, aims to sensitize students from local communities residing in the buffer zone villages of Pench so that they play an active role in conservation. Students between 12-18 years are being selected for this program as it is in this age that their mind can be tapped and moulded towards wildlife conservation. The Pench Foundation is organizing this event while Satpuda Foundation is the primary educational partner.

The Pench Foundation is an entity that uses funds from various sources like the park tourism income for the development of buffer zone villages and its people. While the foundation is funding the whole event and taking care of logistics including transportation, lodging and boarding, Satpuda Foundation is responsible for planning and scheduling of the event and imparting awareness and education to the students.

“The students are made to go through various activities like jungle safari, nature and birding trails, nature games, movie screenings, competitions, lectures, presentations, etc through which they are made to realize the importance of saving their local flora and fauna and safeguarding the forests near their villages,” said Kishor Rithe, president of Satpuda Foundation.

“These nature camps are residential in nature and thus there is enough time for learning, fun, rest, revision and feedback. The teachers who are accompanying the students are also involved in some of the activities and requested to carry out nature and environment related activities in their school regularly,” says Giri Venkatesan, executive director of Satpuda Foundation.

Rithe said various gifts are being distributed to the students along with certificates like books, pencil boxes, field guide on birds etc. The students are showing great enthusiasm and have promised to remember the learnings that they have imbibed here. Some students were so inspired that they took guidance from the forest department officials and the resource persons regarding how to prepare for examinations like UPSC and MPSC and work for the forest department by becoming IFS/ state forest service officials after completing their education.

Over 15 such camps are being conducted with 40 students in each camp. The students that show great leaning towards nature will be selected for a second round of more comprehensive and rigorous learning camps later to shape their desires and career goals in a phased manner.

Moreover, the schools that participated in this event will be given certain small environmental projects to start with that will be later taken to the community members to find solutions for existing local problems and devise community-based models driven by these students.

ENDS