Three day training programme for Educators'
(Samrakshan Trust-Northeast) on wildlife education,
Meghalaya
Given the rich and
threatened biodiversity of the project areas of Samrakshan
Trust in both Meghalaya and Mizoram, activities on
Environment Awareness for the local communities form a
crucial component of the intervention by the organisation.
Hence Samrakshan Trust offices at Meghalaya and Mizoram felt
the need to develop an innovative environment education
programmes that is sensitive to the local culture and
requirements. In order to meet this objective, a three day
training programme was organised soliciting Zoo Outreach
Organisation from November 3rd to
5th,
2007 to select members (seven persons) from the two teams of
Samrakshan Trust from Meghalaya and Mizoram. The programme
was conducted at Rural Resource Training Institute (RRTC),
Umran, Ri-Bhoi District, Meghalaya.
Samrakshan Trust works
with communities living in close proximity to or inhabiting
ecologically fragile and biodiversity rich areas, and
through a variety of development interventions shaped by
local specificities and needs seeks to increase the local
communities’ involvement and stake in conserving their
natural surroundings.
Samrakshan group
members
Objective
The objective of the training programme was to help the
Meghalaya and Mizoram Field Offices to develop an innovative
Environment Awareness programme and impart training to
select staff members from the two teams on communication
techniques and tools to ensure effective delivery of the
programme to a varied audience within the two project areas.
Training details:
Since ST work with the communities who live in close
proximity to Hoolock habitats, the entire training programme
was designed to learn about Hoolock gibbons utilizing the
teaching methodologies given in the ‘Helping Hoolock Gibbons
Hang On’ manual developed by Zoo Outreach Organisation. This
manual is in line with the methods of TFT manual developed
by WCS. In addition to the manual games and activities from
different sources were tried and discussed in detail. There
were seven members, four from Meghalaya office and three
from Mizoram office. Dr. B.A. Daniel and Mr. R.Marimuthu
from ZOO were the resource persons for the three day
programme.
After the ice breaker
activities, all members shared their role in their
respective places and network and education activities of
ZOO was explained.
Hoolock Gibbon
behaviour - body length activity
Showing drama clippings
performed by other educator teams
The Hoolock and Tiger
manuals were introduced to them and activities given in the
manual was tried. Assessment methods: Content survey
pictorial and written, facts about Hoolock gibbons, drama on
poaching, primate dance, Hoolock range map, videos on drama
clips for discussion, Hoolock behaviour and biology, Tiger
biology: little cats to big cats, finger challenge, Hoolock
gibbon History (drawing), basics of taxonomy and taxonomic
shuffle: sorting out species, Hoolock taxonomy and species,
presentation of story of life, Palpur Kuno WLS citizen’s
debate (adapted from TFT manual), ZOO’s education materials
and ways to use it and drama kits and creating drama are
the activities covered in three days. The programme ended
with an evaluation activity called ‘pass the ball’. At the
end it was decided to work on a detailed plan for education
programmes for Meghalaya and Mizoram.
At different times
energizers such as Hawk and the pigeon, connecting eyes, Oh
hoolock, Purr and cocoo, write your name on the air and
body writing were conducted.
The venue RRTC has a
nice campus and the early morning hours were utilized to see
the 360 acre campus and various projects run by them such as
mushroom cultivation, model village, fishery farm, goat
farm, pig farm, organic vegetable farms and orchards.
B.A. Daniel and R. Marimuthu |