Activity Update October 2019: Pench Maharashtra

Awleghat - Balakrishna conducts an environment education program
in the village school

Bachhera - Villagers volunteer to clean plastic trash 

Chargaon - Women take part in an awareness rally during Wildlife Week

Dhawlapur - Students take part in wildlife-themed drawing contest 

Ghatpendhari - Young villagers get briefed about livelihood opportunities

Kadbikheda - Members of women's SHG collect plastic trash
from the jungle

Khapa - Dilip giving information on the harmful impact of fire crackers
during Diwali

Khapa - Villagers join us on a patrol in the forest adjoining their village

Makardhokda - Bandu joins Forest Dept. staff on a foot patrol in the jungle

Pipariya - Dilip briefs students on the role of termites and insects
in the ecosystem

Pipariya - Dilip helps students spot birds during a nature trail

Sawara - Dilip briefs villagers on alternative livelihood options

Wagholi - Villagers join Forest Department staff on a patrol 

Zinzeriya - Students participate in a rangoli competition
 during Wildlife Week

THE FULL REPORT

Team:
Bandu Uikey – Assistant Conservation Officer
Dilip Lanjewar – Field Assistant
Balkrishna Bagmare – Field Assistant

Highlights

• Wildlife Week 2019 celebrated in villages of buffer area - 762 students participate in various events
• Organised 4 foot patrols in forest - 19 villagers volunteered to assist Forest Department staff
• Assisted one villager in filing for compensation for cattle killed by tiger
• Organised 4 nature trails - 72 students took part
• Organised 1 anti-plastic program - 45 villagers volunteered 
• Organised 5 village meetings on issues like man-animal conflict, livelihood and skill development programs - 113 villagers present during the meetings
• 10 classroom environment education programs conducted - 202 students attended 
• Assisted 2 unemployed young villagers in getting jobs 
• Assisted 2 unemployed young villagers in enrolling for hospitality training program

Activity - See TABLE 1

During the first week of October, Satpuda Foundation celebrated Wildlife Week 2019 in villages of the buffer area of Pench Tiger Reserve. During the week-long celebration, our staff organised various events to sensitise villagers on conservation issues. We organised drawing competitions, elocution competitions and rangoli competitions for school students. We organised nature trails for students, introducing them to the floral and faunal diversity of the forest adjoining their villages.  762 school students participated in these events. Awareness rallies were organised in which school students, young villagers and members of women’s self-help groups (SHGs) and prominent villagers took part, raising slogans to make their fellow villagers aware of the need for conservation. 

Anti-plastic campaigns were also arranged to clean plastic trash accumulated along road sides, near school premises and public utility places in the village. 

On 31 October, Dilip assisted Bramhanand Chokhandre, a villager from Ghoti in filing for compensation for his cattle killed by a tiger. The tiger made the kill in his farm adjoining the forest on the night of 30^th October. Dilip and Forest Department staff have assured Mr Chokhandre that he will be provided compensation very soon. Later Dilip instructed Mr Chokhandre to make sure he does not leave his cattle unprotected to avoid such incidents in future. The Forest Department has set up camera traps to identify the tiger and are regularly monitoring the area in order to prevent any further conflict.   

On 13October, Dilip motivated 5 villagers from Khapa to join Forest Department staff on a foot patrol in the forest area adjoining their village. During the patrol, the team assisted the Forest Department staff in checking for any illegal activity like logging, or placing of snares for poaching. They also looked out for signs like pugmarks, scat or scratch marks made by tiger, leopard or sloth bear. The team also checked whether illegal grazing is taking place inside the forest area. However, no illegal activity was reported during the patrol. 

The team encountered indirect signs of numerous ungulates like wild boar, sambar deer and spotted deer. Similar patrols were carried out along with Forest Department staff in Suwardhara, Makardhokda and Wagholi on 18^th, 19^th and 27^th October respectively. Balkrishna motivated 5 villagers each from Suwardhara and Makardhokda to join the foot patrol while Dilip led 4 villagers from Wagholi. 

On 9 October, Balkrishna encourage 45 villagers from Bachhera to remove plastic trash from road-side drains, hand pumps, school and Gram Panchayat premises. Balkrishna organised an awareness rally with school students to encourage villagers to participate in the voluntary program. Encouraged by the slogans raised by the children, the villagers collected plastic trash. The trash was sent to Parseoni town for disposal. This clean-up drive will help prevent clogging of drains thus preventing spread of many water-borne diseases. 

On 8^th October, Dilip took 20 school students from Wagholi and Pipariya villages on a nature trail in the forest area adjoining the villages. While on the nature trail, Dilip provided information on various plant and tree species. The students identified trees such as teak, palash, mahua, neem, banyan, fig and salai. Dilip explained that the trees not only provide people with many medicines and fruits but also harbour numerous animal, bird and insect species. Dilip helped the students identify hoof marks of herbivores like wild boars and sambhar deer. During the trail, the students also observed many birds like Rufus tree pie, oriole, coppersmith barbet, yellow footed green pigeon and Indian grey hornbill. Dilip helped them observe the difference in the shape of beaks, feet and wings of the birds. He further explained to the students that the birds have evolved based on their feeding habits and the habitat. Similar nature trails were organised on 10^th, 25^th and 26^th October for students of Dhawlapur, Sawara and Pipariya respectively.  72 students took part in these 4 nature trails.

On 17 October, Satpuda Foundation organised a meeting with villagers from Ghatpendari on prevention of human-animal conflict. During the meeting, Bandu Uikey gave information to the farmers regarding compensation schemes being implemented by Forest Department. He provided information regarding claim application and documents required to file compensation claims. Bandu also provided information on compensation schemes for cattle killed by predators. He asked villages to refrain from resorting to illegal, retaliatory activities like electrocution or poisoning in case of crop damage or cattle kill, and asked them to inform Forest Department staff instead.

On 24 October, Dilip organised a village meet to sensitise villagers of Khapa village about air and noise pollution caused by fire crackers during the Diwali festival. He told villagers that the noise and smoke caused due to these fire crackers is not only harmful to humans but also affects animals and birds. He urged the villagers to restrict bursting of fire crackers and celebrate the festival in an eco-friendly way. 25 villagers from Khapa attended the meeting. A similar meeting was organised by Dilip on 28 October in Sawara village at which 15 villagers were present.

Environment education - See TABLE 2

In October, we organised 10 education programs in village schools.  202 students of Zilla Parishad Primary (ZPPS) and Zilla Parishad Upper Primary (ZPUPS) schools attended the programs. Dilip and Balkrishna spoke to students about various issues related to wildlife, soil and water and biodiversity conservation. They engaged students in interactive games to effectively explain the issues. 

Employment, Placements and Training - See TABLE 3

In October, we helped 2 unemployed young villagers from Shiladevi village gain employment as waiters with Deshi Pakwan Bhojnalaya, a hotel in Ahmedabad. They will be earning a salary of Rs 7,500 per month. We had earlier helped other young villagers get jobs in Ahmedabad, and have remained in contact with them for further employment opportunities. 

Skill development and training programs - See TABLE 4

 In October, Bandu and Dilip assisted 2 unemployed young villagers from Kadbikheda in joining a 2-month training program in hospitality at Pratham Arora Centre for Education at Sillari.