Conservation Education & Nature Camp at Pakke Tiger Reserve, Seijosa, Arunachal Pradesh in association with the Ghora Abhe Society
Following was the Programme Content of the 3 Day Camp:
Day-1: Arrival and activities in nearby area of the Camp – Evening River Walk and Warm Up Excercises, Evening Introductory Presentations & Slide Shows.
Day -2: Birding & Bio-Diversity walk, interaction with Govt. school children with Community Connection Programmes. Interaction with the staffs of WTI, NCF, Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR) in their office-Programmes at the PTR Interpretation Centre. Students will learn the Construction of bamboo/rope (cane) fencing ,i.e., (a) Kitchen garden; (b) Jhum farming fencing Student Presentations on Learning Outcomes in the Evening.
Day -3: Birding, trekking, observation of Hornbills and interaction with Hornbill Nest Protectors and Ghora Aabhe Society members (discussion on conservation initiatives from the perspective of IndigenousCommunities), experience preparation of local foods/recipes in the village located within the Pakke Tiger Reserve. Additional Activities to be planned - : (a) collection of medicinal plants sapling from the jungle; (b) preparation of pit for plantation of medicinal plan; (c) plantations; (d) briefing on about the utility of medicinal plants planted, etc. Student Presentations on Learning Outcomes in the Evening
Day -4: Reflections and Departure
Students also got a chance to do an Avian Survey at the Pakke Tiger Reserve and observe the nests of the Hornbills. A total of 38 Bird Species were spotted and photographed by the students. The Checklist was uploaded on eBird by the students with guidance from WildRoots. Interaction with students of small Govt.Schools which are located in the Forest Fringes also constituted the 3 Day programme where the Students from the City Schools were able to connect with the Students from the Govt. Schools and learnt how to come up with collective solutions related to Conservation.
Community Connection & Interaction Activities form an integral part of our programmes where we try to bridge a gap between big city schools and small Govt. schools which are located near and far from the forests. Through workshops and interactive games, the students from the schools learn how to connect and build up ideas to work for a productive and sustainable outcome. To imbibe the true ethos of Conservation in the minds of the students, Community Connection is most essential and when it comes to Conservation, a collective Task-Force of City Schools and Small Govt.Schools would be the most effective in identifying and observing the Local and Global issues and work together for a collective outcome.
Interaction with Wildlife Researchers and Forest Officials was also a part of this programme through which the participants got a wonderful opportunity to know about their work at the ‘Nature Interpretation Center’ at PakkeTiger Reserve. We were humbled by the DFO, Pakke Tiger Reserve, who came over and had an interaction with the participants and shared some wonderful stories about his own life in the Forests and work related to Conservation of the Hornbills and other Wild Life of Pakke. He then handed over the Participation Certificates to the students. The students gifted him Artworks which they have made during their stay at Seijosa.
WildRoots would be back to Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh with more such enterprising programmes that generate strong learning outcomes, and help us connect the students with Nature! We are grateful to Mr. Suresh Pait, Teacher of Govt. School, Seijosa and owner of the Mubuso-2 Camp for his immense support and cooperation, Ms. Nandini Velho, Earth Institute Fellow, Columbia University for organizing all of the interactive sessions for the students and Mr. Tana Tapi, Divisional Forest Officer, Forest Department - Pakke Tiger Reserve for supporting the Conservation Education & Nature Camp – 2018!
Recently, WildRoots organized a 'Conservation Education Camp' at the Pakke Tiger Reserve, Seijosa, Arunachal Pradesh, India with ten student participants and one faculty from Sanskriti the Gurukul, Guwahati, Assam, India in collaboration with the Ghora Abhe Society, Seijosa and the local communities.
Photo Documentation of the Programme
