Global Tiger Day, 30 July 2014

Satpuda Foundation celebrated Global Tiger Day

in the buffer villages of five Tiger Reserves

Nature Trail, Drawing Competition and Rally at Pench Tiger Reserve, MP

29th July was celebrated as "Global Tiger Day" across the world. Satpuda Foundation, a leading wildlife NGO working in central India observed many programmes in the buffer of six Tiger Reserves in central India. SF arranged rallys, community meetings, events for kids and plantation programmes in buffer villages of Pench,Tadoba, Navegaon-Nagzira, Satpura (Pachamarhi) and Kanha Tiger Reserve (Mandla district, MP).

The tiger being an apex predator in the Indian subcontinent signifies a healthy ecosystem. Due to habitat loss, decreasing prey base and human interference, the population of wild tigers is at risk of extinction. During the 2010 Tiger Summit at St. Petersburg, it was decided to celebrate 29th July as "Global Tiger Day" to spread the awareness about tiger conservation issues and address these major threats by arranging several functions.

Satpuda Foundation observed this day by arranging the following functions -

Pench Seoni: 

Satpuda Foundation arranged a drawing competition for students from Teliya village situated in the buffer zone of Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh.  The topic of the drawing competition was “Wildlife around you.” Around 40 students participated in this event. In spite of the holiday due to the festival of Eid, children happily gathered at the school to celebrate the day and showed a great interest in conserving wildlife and tigers.

Children marched on a rally to spread awareness among villagers. They chanted slogans like, “Apana Farz Nibhayenge, Tiger Ko Bachayenge” (Let's do our duty and save tigers). Saket Agasti, Conservation Officer of Satpuda Foundation made this event possible in these remote villages.

Rally at Teliya

Rally at Pipariya, Maharashtra

Rally in Ghoti, Maharashtra

Satpuda Foundation’s Field Officer Mr. Niranjan Hinge took the children on a nature trail in the nearby forest. He explained the need for tiger conservation and described the importance of tigers in the eco-system.

Satpuda Foundation has been working in Pench buffer villages since the last eight years on a community-based conservation module. SF’s President Mr. Kishor Rithe feels, “Students in the buffer of these reserves are our future decision-makers; nurturing them at this stage will help us conserve wildlife in the long run.”

Rally and Plantation at Tadoba – Andhari Tiger Reserve:

Chandrapur: On the occasion of Global Tiger Day, Satpuda Foundation organized a plantation program at Dewada village. Plant saplings like sitafal, karanj, neem and vad were planted by grazers and students in the areas near the village.

At Adegaon children marched on a rally to spread awareness among villagers. Satpuda Foundation’s Field Officer Mr. Bandu Kumre assisted the children with plantation and also joined the rally.

Rally at Adegaon

Plantation at Dewada

Cheque distribution, Plantation and Rally in Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve:

In Government Primary School, Mangezari, a plantation programme was jointly organized by Satpuda Foundation and Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve. Various saplings were distributed to school children for planting near their houses. Cheques were also distributed to Village Eco Development Committees (VEDCs) of Mangezari, Kodebarra and Thatezari for conducting work to reduce anthropogenic pressure on tiger habitat. Each VEDC got Rs 50,000 for conducting such work. 

Plantation

Mr Mukund Dhurve, Conservation Officer of Satpuda Foundation NNTR, took the lead in organizing these events. Zilla Parishad Vice President Mr Madan Patel, ZP Former Member Mr Vijay Rane, Sarpanch Mrs Anusaya Kumbhre, ACAP Mr Khandate, RAPO Mr Wade, and VEDC presidents, Secretary and villagers attended the programme. 

Rally in Kanha Tiger Reserve,Mandla district:

Amit Awasthi, Conservation officer of Satpuda Foundation arranged a rally in the buffer villages of Kanha Tiger Reserve in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh.

Rally in Satpuda Tiger Reserve in Chindwara district:

Ashfaque Aarbi and his team arranged a rally in buffer villages of Satpuda Tiger Reserve in Chindwara district of Madhya Pradesh.(Pictures attached)

NCSA events at Melghat:

The rally started from the school

Rally of Gram Panchayat members, Forest staff and other villagers

Rally passing through entry gate of Melghat Tiger Reserve

Rally in progress

Activity Update June 2014: Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve

Team:

Bandu Kumare – Field assistant

Highlights

·      2 community assistance voluntary work projects – one programme to clean area around well at Katwal and one programme at Junona to clean area around hand pump

·      One programme to clear a water tank near Adegaon used for drinking by both domestic livestock and wild animals 

·      Anti-plastic programmes in 3 villages – Bamdeli, Kutwanda and Kondegaon

·      Follow-up to plantation done earlier at Kondegaon, Sitarampeth and Adegaon

·      3 programmes to place water pots for birds at Kutwanda, Moharli and Dewada

·      3 programmes to collect seeds for plantation programme at Adegaon, Dewada and Kondegaon

·      1 nature trail for students of Katwal

·      Health camps in 6 villages – 227 patients treated

·      2 visits to Jamni and Navegaon(relocation village) to follow up on status of relocated villagers  

Conservation  

Bandu organized 2 community assistance programmes during the month. On June 12, he organized a programme at Katwal to clear the area around a well. Water, which had spilled over while people drew from the well, had stagnated, leading to proliferation of mosquitoes and insects. Our team cleared the area, removing scum and organic growth and dug a canal to drain away the water. At Katwal, 4 youths from the village joined Bandu in the programme. A similar programme was organized on June 17 at Junona to clean the area around a hand pump. 3 youths joined hands with Bandu in this programme.

On June 20. Bandu organized a programme to clean and de-silt a water tank next to a hand pump at Adegaon. The tank, which received spillover water from the hand pump, had become clogged with mud and organic waste. 2 adult villagers and one youth joined Bandu in the programme. As he hand pump is on the outskirts of the village, the water tank is used by wild animals at night and domestic cattle in the day. Villagers have spotted leopard pug marks around the tank and have also seen signs of sloth bears. Photo below.

On June 11, Bandu organized an anti-plastic programme at Bamdeli in which 8 students of the village’s Zilla Parishad Primary School (ZPPS) participated. Bandu explained the harmful effects of plastic on the environment and the need to keep plastic litter and waste buried so that they aren’t blown away into jungle areas. The children cleared the main road of the village of plastic litter and waste and later buried the waste in a pit.

Two similar anti-plastic programmes were organized - at Kutwanda on June 14 and at Kondegaon on June 26.  

Clean-up drive at Kondegaon

On June 4, Bandu organized a programme at Kondegaon to follow up on plantation of saplings done last year. This is to ensure that saplings planted during the monsoon are live and have sufficient protection from grazing livestock. 12 students from the village school joined Bandu in the programme. A similar programme was organized on June 17 at Sitarampeth in which 16 students participated and at Adegaon on June 20 in which 9 students took part.

Sitarampeth plantation follow-up

As the rains have not yet started and the temperatures are still high, birds continue to struggle for water. Bandu organized programmes to put up pots with water for birds in 3 villages – Kutwanda, Moharli and Dewada.

Bandu has been organizing programmes to collect seeds for planting once the monsoon sets in. In the process, children are taught about the value of trees and the need to preserve the green cover and increase it. During June, seeds were collected by children in Adegaon, Dewada and Kondegaon.

Seeds collected at Adegaon

Seeds collected at Kondegaon. They include karanj, tendu, sitaphal
and kaner

Kutwanda: children plug leaks so water doesn't drain away, and birds
and small animals can drink from there

Environment Education

There were no classroom programmes as schools have just reopened after the summer vacation and attendance has not yet picked up.

On June 26, Bandu organized a walk in the forest for the students of Katwal Zilla Parishad Primary School. On the nature walk in the forest adjoining the village, Bandu taught the students how to spot and identify birds. He also spoke to the children about the importance of nature and wildlife and the need for conservation. 23 students joined Bandu on the nature trail

Education Van

There were no film shows in June as schools reopened only in the last week and attendance had not yet picked up.

MHU

There were 6 health camps in June.

Kolara: Forest Guard Raut speaks to the health camp co-ordinator while
villagers register for free treatment

Palasgaon medical camp

Visits to resettled villages

Bird's eye view of the site where Jamni village has relocated

New site of Jamni villagers - a makeshift hut in the foreground where
a family is living while their permanent brick house is being built
(behind)

New anganwadi built for children relocated from Navegaon.
'Anganwadis' are childcare and mother-care centres.

Slide projector installed at the anganwadi in the
relocated village