Orang National Park (Assam), March 12: Three-day ‘nature camp amid nature’ for a select group of 27 high school going boys and girls and a few of their teachers got underway in Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam’s Darrang district on Friday under the aegis of Aaranyak and Park authority with support from Wild Wings.
Biodiversity conservation organsation, Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org) have picked up the select group of student participants for the camp from four villages located in fringe areas of Orang National Park known for its rich biodiversity that includes a treasure trove of Royal Bengal Tigers (the umbrella species) and one-horned Indian rhinoceros and a varied other animals, aquatic fauna and flora.
Inaugurating the camp, Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, the CEO of Aaranyak underlined the importance of such nature camps held in the natural ambience to sensitize the younger generation about the importance of bio resources in sustaining all sorts of life on this planet.
In a presentation made by Dr Talukdar, apprised the young participants in the camp on varieties of precious faunal resources available in the North East landscape designated a global biodiversity hotspot.
He especially explained the status of population of five species of rhino on this planet – Greater Indian one-horned rhinos, black and white species of two-horned African rhinos, Javan rhinos and Sumatran rhinos – and explained their importance in sustaining biodiversity and various threats posed to their existence.
The Range Officer of Orang National Park, Dibyajyoti Deori urged the students participating in the camp to remained focused and cash in on the golden opportunity provided by Aaranyak and facilitated by Orang National Park authority to understand the magnificence and benefits of nature and its resources.
A consultant in RRCD and LAD divisions of Aaranyak, Bijay Sankar Bora apprised the students on the need to properly document what they were going to be taught in the nature camp besides enjoying the splendor of the Orang National Park.
He said they were expected to carry the conservation lessons learnt in the camp with them for dissemination among fellow students and family members. “The lessons you learn here will remain inspirations for you throughout life to contribute towards enrichment of nature in your own way,” he said.
Hiren Bora, an official of wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) making a presentation before the students explained the alarming dimension of crime against wildlife and illegal global trade on wildlife parts while flagging that mass people have a big role to play in helping various agencies and NGOs in prevention of wildlife crimes.
A team of Aaranyak led by Arif Hussain has toiled hard to facilitate the nature camp that is a part of Aaranyak’s sustained endeavor to sensitize the younger generation on need for every individual to nurture nature for its perennial nourishment. The students besides learning various nuances of biodiversity and conservation efforts from designated resource persons will get the opportunity to undertake jeep safari inside the national park and tiger reserve.