Activity Update June 2019: Satpura Tiger Reserve

Highlights

Students and a teacher of the village school in Pisuwa plant saplings

Matkuli - Awareness programme on Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve 

Matkuli - Our colleague Ashfaq examines pits
dug for our proposed plantation programme

Matkuli - Pits dug for plantation programme during the monsoon

Matkuli - Saplings to be planted during the monsoon

Matkuli - Villagers participate in an awareness programme
on Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve 

THE FULL REPORT

Team: Ashfaq Aarbi – Conservation Officer

            Hamid Khan – Field assistant

Aabid Khan - Field assistant

Highlights (See Table 1)

• 3 water bodies cleaned through voluntary work programs
• 9 awareness programs and preparation of pits for sapling plantation
• Revived nursery and prepared saplings at Matkuli
• Plantation drive organised at Pisuwa - 100 saplings planted
• Celebrated World Environment Day at Matkuli
• Organised environment awareness program at Matkuli

During June, we organised 3 programs related to water conservation. 

On June 2, we organised a program to clean a water body in the jungle some distance from Mehandikheda village. The water body was covered with leaves and organic litter and animals were finding it difficult to drink. Our team, consisting of field assistant Hamid Khan and 13 children from Mehandikheda village, cleared the litter and made the water body accessible to the animals again. Spotted deer are regularly seen around this water body while there are occasional sightings of sloth bears, wild pigs, wild dogs and leopards. 

Two similar programs were organised at Jhirpa and Khanchari on June 4 and 5.

During the month, our team organised 9 awareness programs in Jhirpa, Khanchari, Karer, Matkuli, Pisuwa, Duddi, Bandhan, Almod, Aaritodiya, Mohgaon, Tekapar, Chandanpipariya, Bindakheda and Chirrai villages to promote awareness about forests and the need to maintain and increase green cover. At these programs, our team explained to villagers how the forests could be maintained and green cover could be added through plantation drives. Villagers were motivated to collect seeds of native species which could be used in plantation drives during the monsoon. We arranged saplings of neem, jamun, kosam, pipal, bargad and mahua with the support of the Social Forestry wing and prepared pits for plantation.

In June, we organised the planting of 100 kosam and teak saplings in Pisuwa village, with the support of the local school management. 

World Environment Day

On June 5, we organised a function to celebrate the World Environment Day at Matkuli. This program was attended by Mr. Kamal Pal (Sarpanch, Matkuli), Omprakash Sahu, Vimlesh Vyalsa, (Forest Guard) and EDC members of Matkuli, Mehandikheda, Chirrai, Tekapar and Khari.

Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve awareness program

On June 13, we organised a function at Matkuli to promote awareness about the Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve. This program was attended by Mr. Kamal Pal (Sarpanch- Matkuli), Mr. H.L. Sharma, Mr. Beniprasad Dhurve (Deputy Ranger), Principal and staff of Government Higher Secondary School, Matkuli.