Generations of Future..Trying to Understand Nature

That is how We, at Nature Conservation Society, describe the process. The special Conservation Education Programme is designed in such a way that it helps our future generations understand the importance of ecology and the urgent need for its conservation. The students of Godrej’s Mumbai based Udayachal High School took lessons of Environment & Wildlife Conservation in Melghat Tiger Reserve through a five day long training course, held from 24th to 28th December, 2010. The course concluded successfully recently at the Muthawa Community Resource Centre of Nature Conservation Society, Amravati (NCSA) near Harisal in Melghat.

Around 23 students from standard 6th to 8th participated in the training course. This special course has been launched by NCSA for CBSE schools since 2009 and Pune based Sahyadri International school and Indus School of Indore had already benefited from the course earlier.

There was good mix of indoor and outdoor events during the course. The students learnt about the medicinal plants at the special nursery created at Muthawa Centre. Participants also appreciated the interesting presentation on Snakes conservation by Prof. Sawan Deshmukh. The Biodiversity module conducted by Wildlife conservationist Kishor Rithe was most informative & he answered every query raised by the participants. Energy expert Prof. Nishikant Kale explained the students about Mahua bio-diesel plant set up at the Muthawa Centre. Through different learning tools and methods like field assignments, nature games, group discussions and power point presentations, the students also learnt modules like sustainable development and energy conservation. Green teacher Prof. Prakash Laddha conducted two indoor sessions based on conservation games which students enjoyed the most. The module about Sustainable Development by conducting a socio-economic survey in a village was most fascinating for the students.

The Audio-Visual aids are the most efficient & powerful learning tools. Films on Tigers, Climate Change and Melghat Tiger Reserve were appreciated much by the students. It was a moment of great joy and learning when the students actually seen the wild animals like Gaur, Sambar in the tiger reserve itself.

Bringing the presentation and writing skill among the participants was one of the objectives of the training course. Students wrote daily dairy based on their own observations and also participated in presenting their learnings among their friends.

This five days training was a memorable event for most of the students as per their written feedback mentioned at the Muthawa Centre. On the last day of camp, students tied the friendship bands to the NCSA supporting staff and instructors for their help. The school teachers Mr. Barun Shill, Mrs. Nutan Pandya and Ms. Asmita Jadhav were impressed to see the change among their students after this course. It was the tireless efforts of all of our staff that made this course successful, making a most memorable event of the students' life!