Highlights:
Adegaon - Meeting organised by us to discuss use of solar-powered fencing |
Dewada - Kishor engages students in a nature game |
Dewada - Our colleague Kishor briefs members of a women's SHG about skill-development programmes |
Dewada - Students collected over 15 kgs of plastic litter from around the village |
Katwal - Village youths participate in village cleanliness drive |
Khutwanda - Villagers construct a check dam |
Kondegaon - Villagers clean a perennial water body adjoining their village |
Kondegaon - Villagers clear area filled with invasive shrubs |
Sitarampeth - Students of Zilla Parishad school watch a film about human-animal conflict |
Sitarampeth - A villager getting free treatment at our medical camp |
THE FULL REPORT
Team:
Conservation Officer:
Mr. Ajay Poddar
Field Assistant: Mr. Kishor
Dudhbarai
Highlights of the month:
·
3 check dams built through voluntary work project - 34
villagers participated
·
7 VEDC meetings were organised - 192 members attended
·
5 anti-plastic programs and programs to clean areas around
hand pumps - 141 villagers participated
·
Nature orientation camp - 25 students and 4 teachers
participated
·
5 environment education programs- 171 students attended
·
6 women’s SHG meetings were organised - 86 members attended
·
50 eligible young villagers identified for four-wheeler driving
training
Nature Orientation Camp
2019
On February 5th and 6th,
Satpuda Foundation organised a 2-day nature camp for 25 students from four
villages. Various nature-oriented activities were organised during the camp
with the support of teachers from Zilla Parishad schools of Khutwanda,
Kondegaon, Mudholi and Katwal and the Forest Department.
The camp was held at the Forest
Department’s nature camping site at Agarzari village.
A range of activities were organised for
the students including trekking, nature trail, nature games, bird watching,
presentations on wildlife conservation, wildlife documentaries and film shows,
anti-plastic and cleanliness programs. We also organised a safari inside the
Tiger Reserve for the students and the teachers during which they had sightings
of spotted deer, four-horned antelope, mongoose, various birds and iconic
tigress Maya with her 2 cubs. The students enjoyed the whole experience of the tiger safari organised by us, with the support of the Tiger Reserve management.
Satpuda Foundation has been conducting
nature camps for students since its establishment in 2001 in all of our operational
areas, as we believe engaging young villagers in such activities from an early age
helps in motivating them to protect the nation’s magnificent biodiversity.
At the concluding session, TATR- Moharli
Range Forest Officer, Mr. R. G. Moon addressed the gathering and distributed
certificates to the students. Students and teachers were positive about their experience.
Conservation
On February 2nd, 10th, 13th,
16th and 20th, we organised cleanliness and anti-plastic programs
with villagers of Mudholi, Katwal, Kondegaon, Khutwanda and Dewada. The programs
were organised in order to sanitise the area around villages by removing litter
which sometimes leads wildlife to venture into the village and causes human-animal conflict. We collected over 15 kilograms of plastic litter through voluntary
public participation. A total of 141 villagers, including some members of women’s
Self-Help Groups (SHGs) volunteered for these activities.
On February 9th, 19th and
21st, we constructed check dams in Bhamdeli, Kondegaon and Mudholi
villages through voluntary work projects, with 34 villagers volunteering.
Education Program
On February 2nd, 4th,
11th, 18th and 27th, we organised environment
education programs in Mudholi,
Sitarampeth, Dewada and Kondegaon. We organised
these programs with students and teachers in order to make them aware of the
importance of biodiversity and conservation. We taught them about nature and
wildlife through interactive sessions and various nature games. A total of 173
students participated in the programs.
Employment Cell
We organised 7 Village Eco-Development Committee
(VEDC) meetings and 6 women’s SHG meetings, focusing on alternative livelihoods
which would reduce dependence on the forests that leads to human-animal conflict
and degradation of forests. A total of 278 villagers attended these meetings
and shared their thoughts. We have submitted a list of 50 eligible young
villagers to the Forest Department to be considered under their planned program
to train villagers in driving four-wheelers.
In the SHG meetings, we discussed forming
a group of interested members who are willing to be trained in making paper
bags and in embroidery. Training will be provided by Nehru Yuva Kendra,
Chandrapur. 86 members attended these meetings.
In the VEDC meetings, we focused on increasing
usage of solar-powered fencing in farms to prevent crop depredation by herbivores
as well as to prevent wildlife from being electrocuted by electric fencing. We
also discussed and explained short- and long-term benefits of fodder
plantation. We also discussed increasing numbers of man-animal
confrontations in the Moharli buffer and how to prevent them by adopting cattle sheds
and stall feeding for cattle, which sometimes fall prey to medium-sized and large
carnivores around the area. 192 villagers attended these meetings.
Details of the programs are given below:
Mobile Health Unit (MHU):
Team: Dr. Sarang Dhar, MHU driver – Mr. Gajanan
Shanware, MHU coordinator - Mr. Deepak Gayna
6 camps were organised by us in February in
which a total of 361 patients got free treatment and medicines.
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