Assam: Orang nature camp connects students to biodiversity conservation

Guwahati: As part of the sustained endeavour to ‘connect kids to nature conservation efforts’, biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak has conducted yet another annual Nature Camp, third in a row, in the famed Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve (ONP & TR) in Assam during March 26–28.

The 3rd Orang Nature Camp was organized in collaboration with the authority of Orang Tiger Reserve and Wild Wings, with support from the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF).

It was attended by 32 high school students and six teachers from six schools, namely Sialmari High School, Sankardev Jatiya Vidyalaya, Bechimari ME School, Keramot Ali ME School, Dokhin Borsola High School, and Ballav Bhai Patel Higher Secondary School. All these schools are located in close proximity to the Orang Tiger Reserve.

Director, Orang Tiger Reserve, Pradipta Baruah, who interacted with the participating students in the nature camp, said that the camp would help students understand the significance of the rich local biodiversity of the area, and knowledge acquired in the camp would benefit the students and their kin in respect of their future wellbeing.

The three-day residential nature camp has acquainted the students with the importance of unrelenting conservation of nature. This camp also facilitates the participating students to interact with and learn from experts working in the field of nature and biodiversity conservation and get motivated to be future stewards to work for the betterment of Orang Tiger Reserve.

Reputed conservation scientist and global expert on rhino conservation, Dr. Bibhab Talukdar, who is also the CEO and the Secretary General of Aaranyak, attended the nature camp to interact with and motivate the students. During the interaction, Dr. Talukdar told students what and how they would contribute to conservation and encouraged them to take steps to conserve biodiversity. Students also took a pledge to secure the same. 

The Nature Camp programme was formally inaugurated on March 26 in Orang National Park by Range Officer Dibyajyoti Deuri in the presence of Bijay Sankar Bora, Publicity Secretary of Aaranyak.

Resource persons Arup Kumar Das, Dr. Deba Kumar Dutta, Swapan Nath, Arif Hussain, Nejib Ahmed, Pranab Goswami, Anjan Baruah, Pranjit Deka, and Karishma Sharma delivered or presented fact-based lectures on various awareness and conservation topics for the benefit of the students during the three-day nature camp. The programme also included many PowerPoint presentations, environmental games, group presentations, a nature trail and park safari, and a conservation drama. All the student participants were given a kit each, education materials, and certificates.

Aranyak staff members Gunajit Mazumdar, Ujjal Bayan, and Gaura Baidya; members of Aaranyak Sayanika Phukan; Samim Sultana; Akash Morang; Bipul Ganju; and local volunteers Khairul Basher and Baharul Islam played key roles in the successful completion of the nature camp, a press release said. 

 Also Read: ‘Village Defence Party members instrumental in protecting animals of expanded Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve' (sentinelassam.com)

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