February 2011 Update: Kanha National Park

Team:

Amit Awasthi – Conservation Officer

Sampatlal Dhurve – Field assistant

Highlights:

• 2 shramdaans to clean surroundings next to hand pumps
• 1 anti-plastic campaign
• 1 nature trail
• Education programme in 10 schools, attended by 437 students
• 2 unemployed youths assisted in getting jobs locally
• One programme to train SHGs on how to expand their activities
• Nine film shows on nature and wildlife conservation, attended by 567 people

Conservation:

During February, our team organized two shramdaans to clean up areas next to hand pumps used to draw drinking water in 2 villages. In both cases, the areas immediately next to the hand pumps were full of stagnant water, which had become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The shramdaans focused on clearing up these areas, de-silting canals to take spillover water away from the hand pumps, and on cleaning up soak pits to take the excess water.

On February 11, the first programme was held at Samaiya. Conservation Officer Amit Awasthi and Field Assistant Sampathlal Dhurve led 6 unemployed youths of the village in the programme.

February 17, a similar programme was held at Batwar. Our team led a group of 16 students and one teacher from Middle School, Batwar in the activity.

Above: Soak pit before being cleaned, Batwar



Above, below: Soak pit being cleaned, Batwar

On February 22, our team also organized an anti-plastic campaign in Primary School, Manegaon in which the students picked up plastic litter and waste lying around the school campus and the village and buried it in a pit.

Education:

During February, our team visited 10 schools to teach students about nature and wildlife conservation.

Satpuda Foundation also organized a nature trail on February 15 for students of Dhanora Tehsil, Seoni district. Under a programme sponsored by the Central Government, students of one district are sent on an exchange basis to another district. 80 students from Dhanora were sent to Kanha. The senior teacher at Government Middle School, Mocha approached Amit Awasthi for assistance and Amit organized a nature trail for the visiting students. On the trail, the students were taught about nature and the need for conservation. They visited the Medicinal Plants Conservation Area, Chapri, a centre where native medicinal plants are grown and nurtured.

Above, below: Conservation Officer Amit Awasthi talks to students on a nature trail at Chapri, Kanha

Employment Cell:

Two youths were placed in local jobs.

Above: Baldevsingh Marawi of Patpara (Kanha) who got a job with our assistance

Training programme:

On February 21, Satpuda Foundation organized a one-day capacity-building workshop for Self Help Groups (SHGs) at our centre in Chapri. The workshop was co-hosted by Ajeewika (M.P Government Rural Livelihood Programme). It focused on teaching the SHGs on how to maintain records and accounts. Speakers at the workshop also explained the various livelihood and business opportunities available to SHGs. Shri Mithilesh Kumar, District Project Manager (SHGs) of Ajeewika and Ravindra Daheria, local Ajeewika coordinator based at Mocha spoke on the occasion. Amit Awasthi also spoke to the participants.

Education van programme:

There were a total of nine film shows on nature and wildlife in February.

Above: Wildlife film show at Government Primary School, Manegaon, Kanha