Dalma sanctuary engages school students in environmental conservation through trekking programme

Jamshedpur: To bring youngsters closer to nature and help them understand its important for the sustainability of mankind, the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary (DWS) has initiated a programme named ‘Dalma Trekking'.
The six-day camp, from Mar 1 to 6, is underway in the lap of rich biodiversity and the scenic landscape of Dalma. Over 100 school students from the city are participating.
"Combining adventure with sustainability, the participating youths will be exposed to the factors that cause environmental challenges, and at the same time, workable solutions will be explored at the camp," Dalma DFO Saba Alam said.
Along with trekking, the participating boys and girls are engaged in several green activities, which are being held under three different categories: cleaning drive, interactive session, and content creation.
Collection and disposal of plastic waste littered along the trekking trail, segregation of degradable and non-degradable waste, and briefings on the impact of plastic pollution on wildlife and ecosystem by nature experts are being organised for the attendees.
In addition, informative awareness sessions by environmentalists on climate change and global warming, as well as the flora and fauna of Dalma, are held.
Further, the participants are asked to prepare contents covering before and after cleanup footage, interviews with experts, and key takeaways from the awareness session.
"The expected outcome from the six-day session is the reduction of waste along the Dalma trekking route, strengthening of community involvement in protecting the ecosystem, and engaging educational content for a broader audience," said the DFO.
In the coming months, several more camps will be organised for school children, he said.
Sharing her experience of attending the camp, Diksha, a student of Kerala Public School Kadma, said the experience is exciting, informative, and memorable. "The mentors have been very cooperative in educating us on why nature is so important for the sustainability of mankind," she said.