Activity Update May 2019: Tadoba

Highlights:

Adegaon - Children collect plastic litter during a drive

Bhamdeli - Our colleague Kishor speaks to village children
about nature and wildlife

Dewada - Our team holds meeting to motivate villagers
to plant saplings during forthcoming monsoon

Junona - Students learn about biodiversity through a nature game

Katwal - Children prepare bird baths with recycled materials 

Katwal - Children prepare saplings
which will be planted during the monsoon

Katwal - Members of women's SHG prepare bags
from used newspapers on the occasion of World Recycling Day

Katwal - Our colleague Kishor speaks to women's SHG
about alternative livelihood options

 Khutwanda - Local youths learn to identify scat during a foot patrol

Khutwanda - Local youths participate in a foot patrol 

Khutwanda - Villagers dig pits for sapling plantation 

Khutwanda - Villagers dig pits for sapling plantation

Kondegaon - Children participate in a conservation awareness rally
on Endangered Species Day

Kondegaon - Village youths clean a drainage canal during a cleanliness drive 

THE FULL REPORT

Team:

Conservation Officer: Mr. Ajay Poddar

Field Assistant: Mr. Kishor Dudhbarai

Highlights of the month:

·      5 anti-plastic and public hygiene programs to mitigate man-animal conflict - 129 villagers participated

·      250 pits dug for plantation- 32 villagers participated

·      1 foot patrol – 12 local young villagers participated

·      3 environment education programs - 80 students attended

·      2 nature club activities in which 60 saplings were prepared – 22 students participated

·      6 womens’ Self-Help Group meetings were organised - 95 members attended

·      7 VEDC meetings were organised - 156 members attended

·      Celebrations as per 'green calendar' - World Migratory Bird Day, Recycling Day, International Bio-diversity Day

On May 2^nd, 3^rd, 8^th and 26^th, we organised cleanliness and anti-plastic programs at Katwal, Kondegaon, Mudholi and Adegaon. The programs were organised to sanitise the area around villages as food litter sometimes leads wildlife to venture into villages and causes man-animal conflict. We also collected over 8 kilograms of plastic litter through public participation (voluntary work project). A total of 129 villagers including members of women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and children volunteered for these activities. (See Table 1.)

On May 28^th and 30^th, we organised a pre-plantation drive with villagers of Mudholi and Khutwanda. Villagers dug 250 pits around their village through a voluntary work project. A total of 32 villagers participated in the drive. Saplings will be planted in these pits during the monsoon.

On May11^th, we organised a foot patrol in the buffer area around Khutwanda, involving local young villagers and the Forest Guard. Participants learned about identification of scat, pug marks, etc. during the patrol.

Education Program (Table 2)

During May, we organised environment education  programs in Kondegaon, Mudholi, Adegaon and Katwal villages. 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 the importance of nature and wildlife through interactive sessions and nature games. A total of 80 students participated in the programs.

Students of Nature club ‘Wagh’ from Kondegaon village prepared 60 saplings to be planted around their school’s premises. A total of 22 children participated in the activity and are willing to prepare more saplings ahead of the monsoon.

Events (Table 3)

World Migratory Birds Day

On May 14^th and 15^th,  on the occasion of World Mirgratory Birds Day, we organised talks on bird species found in Tadoba. Students also prepared bird baths and placed them at several locatins.  A total of  18 children from Mudholi participated in this activity.

World Recycling Day

On May 17^th,  on the occasion of World Recycling Day, we organised a workshop on making paper bags for women of Katwal village. 15 women participated in the workshop and prepared more than 40 paperbags from old newspapers.

International Biodiversity Day

On May 22^nd , we organised a rally to promote awareness about conservation and a class room lecture in Kondegaon and Bhamdeli village. We explained about endagered species found in the landscap. Children took out a rally thorugh the village, chanting slogans about wildlife protection. A total of 45 children participated in the activities.

Employment Cell (Table 4)

During May, we organised 7 village eco-development committee (VEDC) meetings and 6 womens Self-Help Group (SHG) meetings, focusing on alternative livelihoods which would reduce forest dependence that leads to man-animal conflict and degradation of forests. A total of 251 villagers attended these meetings.

In the SHG meetings, we discussed a handloom project proposed to be established in Moharli by the Forest Department. We also formed groups of members interested in being trained in making paper bags and in embroidery. The training will be provided to these SHG members in order to reduce their dependence on forests. A total of 95 members attended these meetings.

In the VEDC meetings, we discussed about plantation to be done in the buffer area and collection and distribution of saplings from nurseries. We also focused on increasing usage of solar-powered fencing in farm lands to prevent conflict with wildlife. We also discussed and explained short- and long-term benefits of fodder plantation. We also discussed about the increasing man-animal conflict around Moharli and how to reduce it by adopting cattle sheds and stall feeding for cattle, which often fall prey to carnivores around the area when they go to the forests for grazing. A total of 156 villagers attended these meetings.