The Sahyadri Freshwater Biodiversity
Conservation workshop
-Abhisheka
The aim of
the training is to empower educators to teach about freshwater biodiversity and
its conservation that can be practiced with their local audience in the Western
Ghats area and to demonstrate innovative teaching and learning techniques
designed to change human behaviour for the better.
A
one day training programme on The
Sahyadri Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation by ZOO Outreach,
Coimbatore was held
on 20th of November 2013 at Honnavar located in the Western Ghats
region of Karnataka. The overall objective of the training was to impart knowledge
about the status of the Sahyādri Freshwater Biodiversity and to bring
about attitudinal change among students, locals and other target groups towards
conservation of the species.
The workshop was held at BuDa, a center for folklore research and documentation located
in Honnavar in the Uttara Kannada region. The team at buDa folklore has their roots in
education, anthropology and community development. Apart
from inviting participants personally, the workshop was also advertised in
local newspapers and therefore participants hailed from various
background including social
workers, environmentalists, lecturers, students, researchers, etc belonging to
an age group of 20 – 60 years.
The workshop was lead by Dr. B.A. Daniel of Zoo Outreach assited by Ms. Abhisheka
Krishnagopal, Karnataka State
focal point for Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation programme
The programme started with
an informal inaugural session and introductions. The workshop began by
introducing participants to the assessment tools. This was followed by various
activities and discussion and covered topics such as facts about Western Ghats,
geography, freshwater types, water footprints, kingdoms of life, Freshwater flora
and fauna, Species status, threats and conservation and so on. The
participants were quite aware of their surroundings and the local biodiversity.
They all shared their knowledge about the local aquatic fauna and interacted
well with the resource people. They expressed concerns about invasive species
and river pollution caused by the use of
pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
Though few female teachers were hesitant to participate in the drawing
activity and the social workers shied away
from displaying their art work, the group was very active and highly
appreciative of the workshop. Post lunch more participants joined the workshop as
they heard positive feedback from the existing participants. Towards the end of the workshop participants
gave their feed back in writing as well as orally and one of the participants
even composed a poem on spot. Workshop
ended with participants committing to spread the message of Freshwater
Biodiversity. All participants were issued certificates and a manual along with
educational packets with masks booklet, placard and posters on fishes and
Odonates of the Western Ghats.
Though it was a successful workshop, one day workshop was too short for
the participants to get familiar with each other and break the ice. As a result
of which few female social workers and young teachers did not express
themselves in front of elders.
