Activity Update March 2014: Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve

Team:

Mukund Dhurve       – Conservation Officer

Jivraj Salam              -   Field assistant

Salimkumar Dhurve – Field assistant

Highlights

·      One water conservation programme – 1 check dam built at Jindatola

·      1 community assistance voluntary work project –programme to clean area next to hand pump at Pindkepar

·      Joined Forest Department staff in night patrols 6 times and 4 times in day and special patrolling on Holi 

·      6 programmes in village schools to promote awareness about nature and wildlife and need for conservation – attended by 709 students

·      2 nature trails for students of Mangezari village school

·      Film shows on nature and wildlife conservation at 8 places – attended by 1134 people

·      Organized 6 medical camps at which 108 patients got free treatment

·      Did preliminary work for training youths in driving 4-wheelers – survey and identification of candidates, co-ordination with STAR Rojgar Kendra – an institute which provides livelihood training for rural youths

Conservation

Mangezari Eco-Development Committee addressed by the
Conservator of Forests

As part of our water conservation work, our team organized a programme in March to build a check dam. On March 30, Forest Guard Kahudkar, 3 temporary workers of Forest Department, Mukund and our 2 field assistants, and 40 youths from Mangezari participated in the programme. The youths belong to a youth club which we support and to which we have provided assistance. In return for our support, the team members join us in conservation activities.  The check dam was built on a stream inside the jungle around 1.5 km from Jindatola village. The resultant water body will benefit wildlife, particularly in summer. Spotted deer, sambhar, gaur and leopard sightings are common in this area. There are also tiger sightings but these are infrequent.

Our team also organized a community assistance programme during the month. On March 26, we organized a programme to clear the area around a hand pump at Pindkepar where water, which had spilled over while people drew from the pump, had stagnated. Plastic litter had also gathered in the water leading to proliferation of mosquitoes and insects. Our team cleared the area, removed the plastic litter and cleared canals to drain away the water. 97 students and two teachers from Zilla Parishad Primary School (ZPPS), Pindkepar, joined Mukund and Salimkumar in the programme.

March 16 and March 17 are the days when the festival of Holi is celebrated, with a bonfire on the first day and splashing of colours on the next. During this period there is an increase in attempts to poach animals for meat for festival feasts and also to cut trees for use as firewood in the bonfires. Therefore, the Forest Department lays additional emphasis on patrolling during this period. Our team joined the Forest Department in night patrols on the road from Mangezari to Kodebarra on March 15, 16 and17. Power cables run on poles erected by the side of the road. In the past, there have been instances of poaching on this road when poachers used hooks and wires to draw power from the cables and killed animals by electrocution. Sometimes, wires are drawn several hundred metres into the jungle from the cables. At least one gaur and one leopard have been killed over the past year, using this method. Besides our staff, volunteers from the youth club at Mangezari also joined in the special patrols.

Kodebarra - Forest Guard Madhav (extreme right) along with
our volunteers on patrol

Separately, in the villages, we conducted programmes to motivate villagers to celebrate Holi in an eco-friendly manner. Holi is a major Hindu festival and is normally celebrated by people splashing water and colours on each other. Normally, a lot of water is wasted and chemicals in the colours contaminate the soil and water bodies. Further, bonfires are lit and branches and trees are cut for firewood. In our programmes, we explained the harm that is caused to the environment by such activities and encouraged people to celebrate the festival in a more eco-friendly manner. Instead of using firewood, villagers are advised to burn rubbish and waste materials. We also explained how colours can be made from natural materials. These awareness programmes were conducted at Adilok High School, Bolunda on March 12, Kuradi Girls’ High School, Berdipar ZPPS, Pindkepar ZPPS and Kodebarra  ZPPS on March 13.

Awareness programme at Bolunda

World Wildlife Day was celebrated on March 3 at Kuradi Girls’ High School. Mukund and Salim spoke to a gathering of around 200 students about the significance of the Day, the importance of wildlife in nature and the need to protect wildlife.

Mukund Dhurve speaks to Kuradi students on World Wildlife Day

World Forestry Day falls on March 21, World Water Day on March 22 and World Pollution Day on March 23. We conducted one programme on March 21 at Adilok High School, Bolunda in which we explained the significance of each of these days. A drawing contest was held with the theme “Our forests and wildlife” in which around 240 children participated.

A contest participant at Bolunda

Mukund Dhurve addresses students and teachers of Pindkepar village
school on World Pollution Day

Berdipar - Mukund explains the importance of World Water Day

Education

During the month, our team made classroom visits to 6 schools to educate children about nature and wildlife conservation.

Mukund led 40 students from ZPPS, Mangezari on nature trails on March 24 and March 25 in two batches of 20 each. The children were led on a game drive inside Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve. On the drives, Mukund helped the children identify various plants, birds, animals and insects and explained the role of each of these in our life. The batch which set out on March 24 spotted a leopard and the children were highly thrilled.

The children went into the Tiger Reserve in Satpuda Foundation’s education van.

Students of Mangezari on a nature rtrail

Students after their safari inside the park

Education Van

During March, we organized 8 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation. The details are given below:

Talking to students before film screening at Bolunda

Film show for Kuradi students

Employment Cell

During the month, we carried out surveys to identify the right candidates for a driver’s training programme. The training will be imparted by STAR Rojgar Kendra – an institute which provides livelihood training for rural youths. We also arranged for officials from STR Rojgar Kendra to visit our area of operations and explain the various livelihood training programmes that they had on offer.

An official of STAR Rojgar Kendra talks to Mangezari village youth
about livelihood training programmes

Women attend a meeting to learn about livelihood opportunities

MHU

There were 5 health camps in March.