In keeping with the theme ‘Forests and Education’ of this year’s International Day of Forests, the Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB) has organised a week-long events 18 at the Gass Forest Museum under the name ‘Learn to Love Forests’. As part of this event, which began on Monday, IFGTB has waived the entry fee for school and college students.
P. Chandrasekaran, Senior Technical Officer, IFGTB, explained the museum’s history and other details in a visual presentation to the students and guided them through the various exhibits. It is important to inculcate the values of environmental conservation in the minds of children, Mr. Chandrasekaran told The Hindu.
Ninety-three students from a private school were the first batch of students to visit the museum under this event.
On March 21, a special event titled ‘Talk to Scientists’ will be held at the museum where various experts from IFGTB would present papers on topics like biodiversity and climate change, Mr. Chandrasekaran said.
The Gass Forest Museum is the oldest forest museum in the country, boasting over 4,000 exhibits in categories including wildlife, botany, timber and entomology.
The United Nations in 2012 proclaimed March 21 as International Day of Forests to “raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests,” according to the website of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. The theme for each year is chosen by Collaborative Partnership on Forests, an organisation chaired by the FAO.