Activity Update December 2013: Pench Madhya Pradesh

Team: Saket Agasti – Assistant Conservation Officer

            Niranjan Hinge, Bandu Uikey – Field Assistants

 

Highlights

·      One voluntary work project to clean area near hand pump in Ambadi village

·      Five nature trails

·      Taught children how to take pugmark impressions using plaster of Paris

·      6 medical camps – treated 194 patients

·      Six film shows on nature and wildlife conservation – viewed by 334 school children

·      Nine environmental education programmes in schools – addressed 371 students

Conservation

On December 31, Field Assistant Niranjan Hinge organized a program at Ambadi village to clean the area around a hand pump used to draw drinking water. Following heavy monsoon rains, wild growth had proliferated and water was stagnating next to the hand pump. Villagers and school children participated in the programme, led by Niranjan. Photos below.

Before the clean-up

Cleaning in progress

After clean-up

Niranjan used the occasion to explain the need for cleanliness and public hygiene near forest areas. He used the example of stray dogs proliferating next to open dumps/litter piles. These sometime attract carnivores like leopards, leading to potential human-wildlife conflict as the carnivores enter the villages in search of easy prey. Stray dogs are also known to attack herbivores.

On December 9, 11, 13, 26 and 31, Niranjan took the school children on nature trails. The details are given in the table above. On the trails, Niranjan spotted local birds in the area and told their importance to the students.

Turia children trying to spot birds on a nature trail

Awarghani children on a nature trail, looking for birds through binoculars

Field assistant Bandu Uikey took two wildlife enthusiast students from Tuyepani village on a nature trail. Near a stream they spotted a leopard’s pugmarks. Bandu showed them how plaster of Paris impressions are used to identify the leopard.

Tuyepani: Bandu teaches children how to make a cast of a pug mark 

Young wildlife enthusiasts from Tuyepani, examining a plaster cast
of a leopard pug mark

Environmental Education Programme

In December, our team conducted environment education programmes in 9 schools in our area of operations.

Satosha - environment education session

Classroom programme in Doodhgaon, conducted by Bandu

Education Van Programme

There were 6 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation in December.

 Mobile Health Unit (MHU)

We assisted Nature Conservation Society, Amravati in holding 6 medical camps in December at which 194 patients were treated.

Telia medical camp