HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Jan 3: Aaranyak has introduced a new environmental education initiative called ‘Prakriti Parichay’ with the objective of instilling environmental stewardship in students. The program aims to cultivate a sense of responsibility, sustainability, and ecological awareness through joyful learning, focusing on concepts related to environment, wildlife, nature conservation, and environmental challenges.
The inaugural session of the program took place at Help Aid Academy in Chandrapur, involving 42 students from Kurkuria village. The students’ cognitive abilities were assessed through engaging quizzes based on their attention during presentations and discussions, promoting critical thinking and creative expression.
Aaranyak’s environmental expert and educator, Tanvi Hussain, along with Wasima Begum, emphasised the importance of securing wild habitats and natural resources, drawing parallels with safeguarding one’s home. The students actively participated in an ecological game called ‘Web of Life’, designed to illustrate the interconnectedness of different components in the environment and the impact of the absence of certain organisms on ecological balance.
Anil Das, Aaranyak’s coordinator in K9 Sniffer Dog Unit, highlighted the significance of different species in the ecosystem, using examples from the services provided by the K9 Squad in wildlife conservation and surveillance.
The program, conducted in collaboration with Help Aid Academy, targeted marginalised students from tea garden communities in Kurkuria village, providing evening classes after regular school hours. The academy, committed to making Kurkuria village 100 percent literate, also engages in a community nursery program for capacity building and accepts plastic waste from students in exchange for evening classes.
As part of the program, Aaranyak presented the academy with its annual calendar themed on wetlands, designed by the media publication & communication division.
