Activity Update March 2015: Kanha

Team: Amit Awasthi – Conservation Officer

            Sampathlal Dhurve – Field assistant

           

Highlights    

                                                                                                                                              

·      Two voluntary work projects for community assistance – area next to well cleaned at Batwar and area next to hand pump at Chapri

·      4 awareness programmes on forest fires in villages

·      Painting of conservation slogans on walls in prominent places in 4 villages   

·      2 anti-plastic programmes

·      2 nature trail programmes

·      Environment education programme conducted in 11 schools  – attended by 256 students

·      3 unemployed youths get jobs through our Employment Cell

           

 Conservation 

In community assistance work, our team organized a programme on March 12 to clean the area next to a well at Dhamangaon, which had become overgrown with weeds and other wild growth. Six youths, two male adults and five ladies from the village joined Amit and Sampath in clearing the area. Photos below.

A similar programme was organized on March 15 to clear the area next to a hand pump at Patpara.

Photos below.

During the month, Amit also organized 4 awareness programmes on forest fires.

Fires are a recurring hazard during summer. Sometimes, villagers start fires as they believe that tendu leaves sprout better after such fires. Collection of tendu leaves takes place during May. In our awareness programmes, we explained the dangers that such fires cause to the forest and to wildlife and how they could harm villages if they blazed out of control. Photo below.

During the month, we arranged for conservation messages/slogans to be painted on walls in prominent places in 4 villages to reinforce the message that we convey through our education/awareness programmes. Photos below.

On March17, our team organized an anti-plastic programme at Dhamangaon. Amit and Sampath spoke to the villagers of the village about the harmful impact of plastic/polythene on the environment and motivated them to remove such litter from the village. The team of villagers and students went around the village, collecting plastic and polythene litter/waste, which were then buried in a pit on the outskirts of the village. Another anti-plastic programme was organized at Patpara on March 20. 

Photo below.

Education

During the month, our team organized environment education programmes in 11 schools in the villages in our area of operations.

Amit and Sampath led children of Kutwahi and Dhamangaon on nature trails on March 22 and March 30 respectively. On the trails, they helped children identify various species of plants, birds and animals and explained the importance of preserving our environment.

Samaiya classroom lecture

Kutwahi: Sampath with children on a trail

Employment Cell

We helped 3 youths get jobs during the month of March.

Krishna Uikey at Bagh Haweli Resort, Mocha