GUWAHATI: Aaranyak, a premier biodiversity conservation organisation of the Northeast, has organized a two-day consultation workshop on conservation education for the Manas landscape at Manas Conservation and Outreach Centre (MCOC), situated near the Manas National Park in Assam.
During the workshop, held from July 13-14, conservation educationists, education practitioner, natural resource management specialists, habitat conservation experts, culture and folklore experts and social scientists from Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) actively participated and brainstormed on the Bodo traditional knowledge system and its association with nature.
The organization is committed to conserving biodiversity and ecosystems within the Manas landscape and supporting the indigenous communities through alternative sustainable livelihood activities, education, and awareness programmes. The initiative was supported by IUCN-KfW.
Dr. Rustam Brahma from Bodoland University, Dr. Gaurisankar Narzary from Kokrajhar Government College, Dilip Narzary, a cultural activist and accredited folk dance trainer of Bodo Cultural Society and Chandra Kanta Basumatary, former president of Manas Maozigendri Ecotourism Society (MMES)and Brand Ambassador, Forest & Environment Department attend the event.
The programme was an initiative of the Participatory Natural Resource Management (PNRM) Programme under the Tiger Research and Conservation Division (TRCD) of Aaranyak.
Addressing the workshop, Dr M Firoz Ahmed, Scientist F & Head of the Division, said Aaranyak has been working closely with the communities around Manas National Park to address the conservation challenges in the region.
He highlighted the important contribution of the Bodo folklore “Sandw Baudiyani Dukhu”, which was enacted as a forum theatre during the conservation education campaigns with stakeholders.
The business sessions of the workshop commenced with a short presentation by Dr Jayanta Kumar Sarma, senior project coordinator, Natural Resource Management (NRM), TRCD, Aaranyak.
The participants were provided an overview of the present perceptions of the community around Manas regarding the natural resources, their connection with the culture and conservation aspects.
The workshop aimed at developing a consensus and synthesis of a conservation education package for the Manas landscape.
