We have been working on building partnerships towards conservation. This is to generate synergies with locally accepted institutions towards garnering support for conservation action in the Saiha region. Samrakshan personnel have actively participated in and shared their views with participants at events organized by Young Mizo Association (YMA), Mara Thyultia Py (MTP), Mara Students Organization (MSO) and Forest Staff Association (FSA).
On 18th June 2008 we participated in the plantation drive organized at Tuipang on account of the Green Mizoram Day. The participants included about 200 students from 4 schools that Samrakshan works with on account of its Conservation Education and Awareness programme and 50 elders including members of institutions like Mara Chano Py (MCHP) participated in this day long event organized by the forest department.
Contact: nimesh.ved@gmail.com
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Tortoise Release at Palak - Manouria emys
During the last week of May 2008 we were at Phura village (22.23378 - 92.90697) in course our regular monthly interactions on conservation education and awareness with students and elders. On 29th evening we went for the day’s last visit to our favourite tea stall and came across a tortoise. After initial confusion on account of it being tied we discovered that it was alive and one of us rushed to get our camera, pad and pen.
The person in possession of the tortoise was initially reluctant to talk and said he was surprised we were talking about it at all to him as many people indulged in this practice. We began by telling him that this act on his part was wrong and also prohibited under the law; Wildlife Protection Act. In the discussion that ensued he stated his desire to take it home for his children while his companion mentioned tortoise hunting with help of dogs being practiced in the region. We told him that we would have to release it in the forests away from Phura. During these interactions the members of MTP Phura came over and on their too urging him to hand it over for release the person finally consented. The incident was then shared with Phura VC president who supported the action and suggested Palak Lake area as the best spot for release. Palak Lake is an Important Bird Area (IBA) located within Saiha and 5 kms from Phura.
Within a short while we left for the forests near the Palak Lake and released it. This we believe is a beginning towards our joining hands with institutions that are an integral part of the Mara society towards conserving the unique wildlife values in the region.
Contact: nimesh.ved@gmail.com
The person in possession of the tortoise was initially reluctant to talk and said he was surprised we were talking about it at all to him as many people indulged in this practice. We began by telling him that this act on his part was wrong and also prohibited under the law; Wildlife Protection Act. In the discussion that ensued he stated his desire to take it home for his children while his companion mentioned tortoise hunting with help of dogs being practiced in the region. We told him that we would have to release it in the forests away from Phura. During these interactions the members of MTP Phura came over and on their too urging him to hand it over for release the person finally consented. The incident was then shared with Phura VC president who supported the action and suggested Palak Lake area as the best spot for release. Palak Lake is an Important Bird Area (IBA) located within Saiha and 5 kms from Phura.
Within a short while we left for the forests near the Palak Lake and released it. This we believe is a beginning towards our joining hands with institutions that are an integral part of the Mara society towards conserving the unique wildlife values in the region.
Contact: nimesh.ved@gmail.com
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Abstract submitted to AWS 2008 - Hanoi.
EMPLOYING CONSERVATION EDUCATION TO SECURE THE
PALAK LAKE ECOSYSTEM – MIZORAM (INDIA)
NIMESH VED, S Lalramnuna, Arpan Sharma and T Azyu.
Conservation education for a variety of stakeholders is pivotal to achieving wildlife conservation. To make education, worthwhile interesting and effective, it needs to be open yet focused; structured yet flexible; thematic yet spontaneous and directional yet participatory (Trivedi et al. 2006). A review of current trends in environment education internationally confirms that the main driver of change is the transformation in the mode of knowledge production (M L Ampofo–Anti 2007).
Palak Lake locally referred to as Pala Tipo, an IBA (Birdlife International 2007) is situated within the Mara Autonomous district Council (MADC) region in the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram, The forests are rich in palms, rattans, dense cane-brakes and reeds along the lake margin (Birand and Pawar 2001). 136 species of avifauna and 19 species of mammals have been confirmed from the lake and its surrounding forests including the endangered Phayre’s leaf monkey and Western hoolock gibbon (Datta-Roy et al. 2007). Principal threats to this unique site emerge from potential land use changes, unsustainable extraction of resources, and greater access to the area through the construction of roads.
Samrakshan Trust and the MADC Forest Department are working on a collaborative initiative towards conserving the Palak Lake ecosystem. Efforts under the arrangement currently focus entirely on conservation education and awareness; laying the foundation for a long term intervention. These activities are undertaken with educational institutions and other institutions like youth clubs and village councils, to sensitize decision makers at the local level. Interactive sessions with participants ranging from 5 to 15 years form the fulcrum of the programme where film screenings on similar ecosystems and presentations on values of the Palak Lake lay the base for the discussion sessions. Attempts are also being made to reach out by adopting practices accepted in the local culture like handouts to ensure that the participants not only absorb but also react, similarly we seek to assimilate into our endeavour the many local myths and legends associated with Pala Tipo.
The initiative has triggered a keen interest within the stakeholders and the participants have reacted positively to the film screenings and discussions strengthening our premise that an innovative conservation education programme will go a long way in securing the Palak Lake Ecosystem.
Contact: nimesh.ved@gmail.com
PALAK LAKE ECOSYSTEM – MIZORAM (INDIA)
NIMESH VED, S Lalramnuna, Arpan Sharma and T Azyu.
Conservation education for a variety of stakeholders is pivotal to achieving wildlife conservation. To make education, worthwhile interesting and effective, it needs to be open yet focused; structured yet flexible; thematic yet spontaneous and directional yet participatory (Trivedi et al. 2006). A review of current trends in environment education internationally confirms that the main driver of change is the transformation in the mode of knowledge production (M L Ampofo–Anti 2007).
Palak Lake locally referred to as Pala Tipo, an IBA (Birdlife International 2007) is situated within the Mara Autonomous district Council (MADC) region in the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram, The forests are rich in palms, rattans, dense cane-brakes and reeds along the lake margin (Birand and Pawar 2001). 136 species of avifauna and 19 species of mammals have been confirmed from the lake and its surrounding forests including the endangered Phayre’s leaf monkey and Western hoolock gibbon (Datta-Roy et al. 2007). Principal threats to this unique site emerge from potential land use changes, unsustainable extraction of resources, and greater access to the area through the construction of roads.
Samrakshan Trust and the MADC Forest Department are working on a collaborative initiative towards conserving the Palak Lake ecosystem. Efforts under the arrangement currently focus entirely on conservation education and awareness; laying the foundation for a long term intervention. These activities are undertaken with educational institutions and other institutions like youth clubs and village councils, to sensitize decision makers at the local level. Interactive sessions with participants ranging from 5 to 15 years form the fulcrum of the programme where film screenings on similar ecosystems and presentations on values of the Palak Lake lay the base for the discussion sessions. Attempts are also being made to reach out by adopting practices accepted in the local culture like handouts to ensure that the participants not only absorb but also react, similarly we seek to assimilate into our endeavour the many local myths and legends associated with Pala Tipo.
The initiative has triggered a keen interest within the stakeholders and the participants have reacted positively to the film screenings and discussions strengthening our premise that an innovative conservation education programme will go a long way in securing the Palak Lake Ecosystem.
Contact: nimesh.ved@gmail.com
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Memorandum of Association
The Mizoram field base has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Environment and Forest Department of the Mara Autonomous District Council to strengthen Conservation of Forests and Wildlife in participation with the local community in Saiha.
The arrangement is for a period of 2 years beginning 1st March 2008 and was signed by Mr. Nimesh Ved (Team Leader) on behalf of Samrakshan Trust and Mr. Solo (Assistant Conservator of Forests) on behalf of the Environment and Forest Department of the Mara Autonomous District Council.
Under the arrangement Samrakshan Trust will put in efforts in Saiha region towards,
A. Designing and implementing Conservation Education - Awareness programmes.
B. Capacity enhancement of the staff of Environment and Forest Department of Mara Autonomous District Council.
C. Undertaking biodiversity surveys.
The efforts in the initial phase consist of Conservation Education – Awareness programmes with elders and children at Tuipang, Phura and Saiha.
Contact: nimesh.ved@gmail.com
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