Activity Update July 2019: Tadoba

Highlights:

Adegaon - Students participate in our plantation drive
 and plant saplings in their school premises

Ashtha - Global Tiger Day 2019 

 Ashtha - Kishor conducts an environment education programme
 in the village school

Ashtha - Global Tiger Day 2019 -
Students learn about tiger habitat and its conservation

Dewada - Students participate in a cleanliness drive 

Junona - Kishor briefs members of the women's SHG
about alternative livelihood options

Katwal - Global Tiger Day 2019 - Students participate
in an awareness rally on tiger conservation

Katwal - Teachers and students participate in our cleanliness drive

Khutwanda - Students observe wetland birds during a nature trail 

Khutwanda - Volunteers plant saplings in our plantation drive

Kudesawli - Awareness meeting with unemployed villagers
in the corridor, on alternative livelihood options 

Mudholi - Students of nature club 'Gaur' learn to identify animals
 through a nature game 

Mudholi - Villagers plant saplings during our plantation drive

THE FULL REPORT

Team: 

Conservation Officer: Mr. Ajay Poddar

Field Assistant: Mr. Kishor Dudhbarai

Highlights of the month: (Table 1)

• 2 livelihood awareness sessions in corridor villages - 58 unemployed young villagers attended
• 2 anti-plastic and bore well cleaning programs to prevent man-animal conflict - 79 villagers participated 
• 4 plantation programs - 840 saplings planted - 52 villagers participated
• 4 environment education programs - 202 students attended 
• 2 Nature club activities/interactive nature games- 53 students participated 
• 5 women’s SHG meetings were organised - 80 members attended 
• 7 VEDC meetings were organised - 128 members attended
• Global Tiger Day 2019 celebration - 170 students participated 

On July 5th and 22nd, we organised cleanliness and anti-plastic programs with villagers of Katwal and Adegaon. Programs were organised in order to sanitise the area around villages, as food litter sometimes leads wildlife to venture into the village and causes human-animal conflict. We collected over 5 kilograms of plastic litter through public participation (Shramdaan). 79 villagers including members of women’s (self-help groups) SHGs, and children, volunteered for these activities. 

On July 10th, 13th, 15th and 20th, we organised plantation drives with villagers of Mudholi, Katwal, Kondegaon and Khutwanda. Villagers planted 840 saplings of native tree species through voluntary work project. 52 villagers participated. 

Education Program (See Table 2)

During July, we visited and organised environment education  programs in Ashtha, Kondegaon, Katwal Mudholi and Khutwanda villages to promote awareness about the importance of biodiversity and conservation. We spoke to the students about nature and taught them about the importance of wildlife through interactive sessions and various nature games. 255 students participated in the programs. 

Students of the Nature club 'Gaur' from Mudholi and 'Wagh' from Kondegaon village participated in interactive nature education games and learnt about rain water harvesting and conservation. 

Events

Global Tiger Day 2019

 On July 29th, Satpuda Foundation celebrated GLOBAL TIGER DAY 2019 in Ashtha and Katwal villages in the buffer area of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. The goal of Tiger Day is to promote the protection of tigers. In a bid to create greater public awareness about tiger conservation, our team organised several programs and activities with school students and the villagers.

Our team of Ajay Poddar and Kishor Dudhbarai organised class room lectures and PowerPoint presentations to spread the message to conserve forest habitat in order to protect tigers. Our team also organised an awareness rally and nature games. During the rally, students sported tiger masks made by themselves and chanted tiger conservation slogans while marching through their village. Forest Department officials and school teachers were also present on the occasion.

Employment Cell (See Table 3)

We organised 7 Village Eco-Development Committee (VEDC) meetings and 5 self-help group (SHG) meetings, focusing on alternative livelihoods which would reduce dependence on the forests that leads to man-animal conflict and degradation of forests. A total of 208 villagers attended these meetings and shared their thoughts. 

In the SHG meetings, we discussed several livelihood related issues. We also formed groups of interested members who are willing to take up paper-bag making and embroidery. These groups will be provided with relevant training. A total of 80 members attended these meetings.  

In the VEDC meetings, we discussed about plantation to be done in the buffer; and collection and distribution of saplings. We also focused on increasing the 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 increasing man-animal confrontation in and around Moharli and how to prevent this by adopting cattle sheds and stall feeding for their cattle, which sometimes fall prey to medium and large carnivores around the area. A total of 128 villagers attended these meetings. 

We also organised youth empowerment and livelihood awareness sessions in Kudesawli village for unemployed young villagers from corridor villages of the proposed Kanargaon Wildlife Sanctuary.  We discussed various livelihood issues and job schemes that can benefit those forest dwellers. We also formed a social media group to discuss and share thoughts on the topic. 58 unemployed young villagers from Tohagaon, Kanargaon, Bamni and Chiwanda villages attended. The Honorary wildlife warden of Gadchiroli district Mr. Uday Patel and president of the organisation Social Action and Rural Development, Chandrapur (SARD) Mr. Prakash Kamde were also present.