Workshop for budding conservationists

Nature Conservation Society, Amravati (NCSA) is a leading grass-root-level non-governmental organization in Central India, working for conservation and management of wildlife and natural resources in Central India and community development.

NCSA has won many conservation battles in the past 22 years of its path-breaking work. Today the organization is known for its innovative work in conservation education, social studies, participatory conservation, target group specific consultations and successful legal actions.

NCSA plans this workshop for budding conservationist to make them "conservation practitioners" to fight conservation battles by using science and research. Leading wildlife conservationist Kishor Rithe, Green Teacher Award winner Nishikant Kale; Prof. Prakash Laddha, spider expert Dr. G.N. Vankhede, Green Lawyer Chandrashekhar Kaptan, young wildlife defender Vishal Bansod and many wildlife officers will help in shaping these conservationists during the workshop. Mr.Kunal Potode, Executive Officer of NCSA will be co-ordinating this course.

During this four-day workshop the participants will be trained in subjects like wildlife conservation and management, natural resource management and community development, social and wildlife studies, conservation strategies, media for conservation, environmental law and applied conservation education.

Well designed practical modules associated with theory sessions will be the important component of this workshop.

Place:

“Muthawa”, the Community Resource Centre of Nature Conservation Society, Amravati situated on the boundary of the forest Melghat Tiger Reserve.

Duration:

One programme in the third week of January and second programme in the first week of March 2014

Charges:

Rs.1200/- per day per participant inclusive of stay, food, reading material and local transportation during the field modules. Traveling expenses of Participants to and from Melghat are not included.

Admission Procedure:

25-30 seats only. Send the entry form along with your detailed C. If selected, you will have to immediately send the D.D. of Rs.4800/- drawn in favor of “Nature Conservation Society, Amravati.” Payable at Amravati (M.S.) to confirm your participation.

Deadline:

Last date of reaching entry form (preferably by email) is 30th December 2013 (for January 2014 programme, and 30th January 2014 for March 2014 programme.

Instructors:

Mr. Kishor Rithe (BE and ME in Computer Sc & Engineering, Certificate course in Conservation Biology and Wildlife Management from Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C. USA, Certificate Course in Applied Environment Education by Smithsonian Institution. 18 years of experience in wildlife conservation)

Dr. G.N. Vankhade (Retd. Head of Department, P.G.Department of Zoology, S.G.B.Amravati University,Amravati, Spidar expert, Guided many field oriented research projects.)

Proff. Nishikant Kale (B.E,M.E in Mechanical Engineering, Bio-diesel Expert and trained in Environment Education.15 years experience in EE projects. Sanctuary-ABN AMRO Green Teacher Award Winner)

Prof. Prakash Laddha

Sanctuary-ABN AMRO Green Teacher Award Winner. Trained in Applied EE and 15 years of experience.

Adv. C.S. Kaptan (Green Lawyer, Fought many environmental cases successfully in Nagpur Bench of Mumbai High Court)

Ar.Vishal Bansod (Architect turned conservationist. Sanctuary-ABN AMRO Young Naturalist Award Winner.ASHOKA change Loom Award winner)

Course Co-ordinator: 
Kunal Potode (Executive Officer, NCSA)

Address for Correspondence:

Nature Conservation Society, Amravati, “Pratishtha”,Bharat Nagar, Akoli Road,Sai Nagar, Amravati (MS) Pin –444607 Phone : 0721-2510966 Tel/Fax : 0721-2510966,09890262677 Email : ncsa.India@gamil.com Web : www.ncsaindia.org

For any assistance, please contact Mr. Kunal Potode - 09890262677

'Behaviour Change Conservation Campaigns' course 2013: News and video

A video made during the course conducted in November:

And one of the news articles on the course:

Foreign tiger conservationists impressed by Tadoba reserve

Vijay Pinjarkar,TNN | Nov 27, 2013, 11.23 PM IST

NAGPUR: Around 14 participants from tiger range countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal and India, participating in a three-week international course learnt lessons from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) during their visit here recently. 

The participants were impressed with the situation in TATR and knowing about the efforts being taken by locals, NGOs, people's representatives, media and the state government to make TATR among the top five tiger reserves in the country. 

The participants interacted with TATR field director and localconservationists. They also learnt lessons on growing human wildlife conflict and regulated tourism. 

Babu Ram Lamichhane, Rabin Kadariya from Nepal and AFM Mahmudul Hasan and Zubair Hussni Fahad from Bangladesh were impressed after drawing lessons from the people who worked in this landscape since long. 

Munjali Tokbipi, first woman environment educator from Karbi indigenous community from Assam and who lives near Kaziranga National Park, was fascinated after sighting a mating pair of tiger near Pandharpaoni. "I will dream for providing such home to tigers in Assam now," she said after Tadoba visit. 

An international course on conservation education as a tool to change the behaviour of various target groups of communities for tiger conservation issues is going on at Amravati University and participants were on their field module in TATR. 

Satpuda Foundation is organizing the course in collaboration with Amravati University, state wildlife department, Nature Conservation Society Amravati (NCSA) and Environment Education Conservation Global (EECG), USA. 

Former member of standing committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) Kishor Rithe, who designed the course, introduced them with several aspects of tiger conservation. 

TATR field director Virendra Tiwari explained a set of measures that his office has taken in last two years. The serious issue of growing human-wildlife conflict was explained by Poonam Dhanwatey of Tiger Research and Conservation Trust (TRACT), who is also honorary wildlife warden of Chandrapur. Participants later worked on her presentation to address this issue through conservation education programme. 

They were told that TATR has the potential to become an important source population for the Navegaon-Indravati landscape. It has the potential for sharing genetic material with Kanha-Pench landscape. Today, Tadoba landscape enjoys an approximate population of 100 tigers.

Activity Update October 2013: Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve

Team:

Ashfaq Aarbi   -   Conservation officer

Bandu Kumare – Field assistant

Highlights

·      Building of check dam at Aswal Hira spot, Moharli

·      Sapling plantation at Dewada and sapling distribution at Moharli

·      Awareness programmes for plantation in 10 villages

·      Celebration of Wildlife Week

·      Classroom visits to 10 schools as part of our environment education program – attended by 278 students

·      Film shows on nature and wildlife conservation in 10 schools – attended by 270 people

·      Participated in 3-day programme on self-employment at Chandrapur organized by Self-Employment Training Institute (Bank of India)

·      Visits to Bhagwanpur to follow up on status of relocated villagers

·      Medical camps in 6 villages  - 252 patients treated.

Conservation

In October, our Tadoba team organized sapling distribution and planting in the Moharli cluster. Shri K.V. Dhankute (Round Officer based at Moharli) participated in the distribution of saplings to school children for planting in their homes. The saplings were provided free of cost by the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (buffer wing). Species distributed included neem, anjan, karanj, kavat, shesam and jamun. On October 4, saplings were distributed and planted at Dewada and on October 8, saplings were distributed at Moharli.

Awareness programmes on plantation were held at Mudholi, Katwal, Sitarampeth, Adegaon, Moharli, Chorgaon, Junona, Bhamdeli, Kutwanda, and Kondegaon.

On October 6, we organized a team of 35 people to participate in a programme to build a check dam at Aswal Hira, a spot in the jungle near Moharli. The team comprised guides working in the National Park, two staff of the Forest Department and our field assistant Bandu Kumare. The Forest Department arranged for transport to the site, which is around 7 kms from Moharli village, and also helped provide some of the materials for the dam.  The resultant water body will benefit wildlife. Sambar and spotted deer are spotted regularly in the area with intermittent sightings of leopard. Photos below.

Wildlife week was also celebrated across the villages in our area of operations. A separate report is available on Wildlife Week celebrations.

Education

During the month, our team made classroom visits to 10 schools to educate children about nature and wildlife conservation.

Adegaon - Bandu Kumare identifies wildlife for students of the village
school

Kutwanda - Bandu conducts an environment education programme

Mudholi - Ashfaq Aarbi conducts environment education programme
in the school

Employment Cell

Bank of India’s Self-Employment Training Institute organized a 3-day programme at Chandrapur to create awareness about the different programmes they offer to train youths in self-employment skills. They invited us to attend the programme as they wish to assist youths in our area of operations. Ashfaq attended the workshop.  Some of their training programmes include tailoring, dress designing, repairing of mobiles, repairing of basic household appliances.

Education Van

During October, we organized 7 film shows on nature and wildlife conservation, attended by 270 people. The details are given below:

Adegaon - film show about to begin at Udiya Tola

Dewada - film show on wildlife at Zilla Parishad School

MHU

There were health camps in 6 villages in October.

Free medical camp at Bhagwanpur

Bhagwanpur - doctor examines patient in our ambulance

Above and below: Pahami - medical camp 

Wildlife Week

During the first week of October, our team organized a series of events across both clusters to celebrate Wildlife Week. Details are in a separate report.