Musings on environment education programme ~ 2.

Approach.

At Tuipang (block headquarters) too like Phura and Saiha we have centered our programme with students on the middle schools (both government and privately owned). On one occasion while returning from the government middle which was (to our surprise) closed we were invited to the government high school for a cup of tea. During the talks accompanying the tea (2 cups and a pakora each) we began by sharing write ups (simple language with maximum length of 2 pages; more of reader friendly hand outs) on our efforts that we had then prepared. On the classes coming to an end more teachers with equally high levels of interest joined in. We then shared the field guides we were carrying ~ focusing on birds and mammals. Some of them wanted to know which species out of the many depicted in the field guides occurred in Mizoram and whether a list of species was available in Mizo language! One of them asked me “what exactly do you do and how when you visit schools in our town?” ~ I responded saying if they had time we would be glad to showcase the presentation that we had prepared for the visit rather than just talk of it. At their agreeing we first discussed on the portions to lay emphasis on (vis-à-vis the middle school students for whom it was originally meant) and then had an invigorating time showcasing it.

This, to me, was a big learning. We will, in the coming months, have to fine tune our abilities to work in a reactive mode; primarily to get groups (other than those we are currently associated with) interested, in the actions we undertake and more pertinently the issues we focus on.

In context of designing the roles for colleagues I have been keen from the onset (at Saiha field base) that they focus on conservation education (read communications and wildlife) and not poke their fingers in other actions. This was based not on any complex management theory but a simple view that if skill sets are to be imbibed one rather learn 2 (skill sets) such that (s)he can deal with them alone rather than learning (trying to!) 4 and successfully getting lost in all. So finance and administration were out for them and so were computers! I would work on these issues and we were all to focus on being amidst villages ~ forests and comprehending communications.

In course of the efforts I realized they key lay in interest levels. I can generate only that much level of interest in the students (participating in our programmes) as I espouse. Same would hold true for my colleagues! We began with wildlife films and moved on to books. Just when I felt elated at the initial response it dawned on me that the crux was to maintain the tempo! This then evolved to a full time activity (well almost). Each time we went to Phura we would go to the Palak Lake and jhum fields would be on the itinerary of each Tuipang visit. Here we would try to observe birds and animals and try to identify them with help of field guides. I recall the frustration at our repeated inability to identify the raptors at Tuipang as also the thrill on viewing the Hoary bellied Himalayan squirrel (Callosciurus pygerythrus) nibbling at flowers while lying on our backs at Phura.

Next was writing! Facial contours of each of us underwent dramatic changes when the initial reports were written and discussed. After putting in this level of efforts last thing I desired was a “dead report” or a “reporty report”. We tried to overcome this by writing “daily diaries” and sharing them weekly with each other. I was then to collate the relevant information in a “lively and interesting” fashion.

These musings are from that collation ~

(We would appreciate any communcations in respect of process documentation on efforts focussing on environment education at nimesh.ved@gmail.com or 91 94361 56458)