Conservation Education Centre

Last updated

The Conservation Education Centre (CEC) is the education and awareness wing of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). [1] The Conservation Education Centre is located on the BNHS Nature Reserve in Goregaon, Mumbai, India. The CEC came into existence on the BHNS Reserve in 1997.

Contents

The centre is situated on 33 acres of forest land of the BNHS Nature Reserve. This land was leased by the Government of Maharashtra to BNHS in 1983 during its centenary celebrations. The CEC was established in 1993. The BNHS Nature Reserve lies between the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Film City.

National Park (formerly known as the Borivali National Park) is the catchment area for Mumbai's lakes and is home for 25 species of mammals (including leopards), 275 species of birds, 150 species of butterflies and various species of flora. It is common to see many of the park's biodiversity occurring within the BNHS Nature Reserve as well. [2]

Since its inception in 1997, the centre has designed and implemented 24 educational projects. It has also developed 161 educational materials, including three teachers' manuals, two student manuals, and five field guides. It has hosted 42 exhibits. It also has 573 books based on education and natural history at its library. [3]

History of CEC

Bird-watching programmes are organized to watch flamingos in Sewri, Mumbai. Flamingos at Mahul Sewree Mudflats Mumbai by Dr. Raju Kasambe.JPG
Bird-watching programmes are organized to watch flamingos in Sewri, Mumbai.

In 1993 the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) initiated a three year Conservation Education Project (CEP) in Mumbai, Tamil Nadu and Bharatpur. The project was funded by Department of International Development, U.K. (formerly known as ODA) in technical collaboration with Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), U.K. The aim of the project was to study the biotic pressure exerted by the people living in and around three protected areas, namely Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and Keoladeo National Park. [3]

The outcome of the study was to provide remedies for reducing the biotic pressures involving local stakeholders. The final product of the project was to establish a Conservation Education Centre (CEC) in Mumbai for continuing education in environment education. [3] The CEC became functional in 1997 on the BNHS Nature Reserve (BNR) which was leased by the Government of Maharashtra.

Educational programmes

The educational programmes for students cover basic environmental aspects. As part of these programmes, CEC shows audio-video interactive presentations. The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has been actively establishing nature clubs for the past 10 years under the banner of "Hornbill Nature Club", aptly named after the BNHS mascot. The nature club activities include syllabus based programmes that are conducted throughout the year. [4] The CEC conducts a range of indoor and outdoor activities with students and teachers.

Corporate programmes

Corporate Programmes at CEC are customized employee sensitization workshops that include wilderness camps, eco-days celebrations and volunteering opportunities. Activities such as tree planting, habitat restoration, clean-up drive and awareness campaigns are also conducted. [5] These workshops consist of presentations on carbon footprints, green lifestyle biodiversity plot study and E-waste.

Biodiversity surveys

The USP of the Bombay Natural History Society has been conservation through scientific studies, which form the basis of environment education imparted by CEC. The CEC has been involved in several biodiversity surveys at various locations in and around Mumbai. [6]

The biodiversity surveys undertaken by CEC include:

Online courses

CEC has been conducting online year-long courses in biodiversity conservation and entomology for the past two years. In 2013, CEC launched a two more year-long online courses in basic ornithology and herpetology. The following courses are hosted by CEC:

In 2017, Conservation Education Centre, BNHS (Mumbai) is conducting five online hybrid courses with newly designed syllabi. Two of the courses are of short duration and are of six months duration. Following are the courses of CEC, BNHS:

Training and workshops

CEC organizes workshop and training programmes about various aspects of environmental and education. The following workshops are imparted at CEC:

Notable conservation education projects

CEC has completed 26 conservation education projects in different streams of environment education such as implementation of nature education centres, establishing Hornbill Nature Clubs, developing environment education materials, conducting biodiversity surveys, and conducting training and capacity building programmes. [9] The following are a few notable projects undertaken by CEC:

Ongoing projects

Conservation Education Centre, Delhi (2005-present)

The CEC was set up at the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. It was modeled on CEC Mumbai. This centre contains interactive educational displays, nature trails, educational resources for teachers, outreach programmes in Delhi schools, and interaction with non-government organisations and decision makers. [10] The funding agency is the Delhi Forest Department.

Hornbill Nature Club at Gold Crest High School (2011)

The CEC launched the Hornbill Nature Club in Goldcrest High School in Vashi on June 2011. [11] The activities in the club are based on nine themes: Biodiversity, Monsoon Diversity, Endangered Wildlife, Grassland Ecosystem, Water Conservation, Energy Conservation, Adaptation in Nature, Waste Management and Mangroves. [11]

Completed projects

Nature Interpretation Centre (Matheran)

This Nature Interpretation Centre aims at raising awareness about the environment and to address the need for nature conservation, besides highlighting the importance of the Eco-Sensitive zone in Matheran. Under the first phase of this project Conservation Education Centre will carry out a basic biodiversity survey of Matheran, identify nature trails, establish a butterfly and medicinal garden and train the locals as nature guides for the Matheran Municipal Corporation. The basic biodiversity survey will be conducted for the plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles and birds. [11] The list of flora and fauna developed during the survey will be used to develop exhibits in the second phase of the projects. The nature trail identification involves a survey of the existing paths to check the biodiversity, and the possibility of conducting a nature trail on these paths will be explored. These trails will be mapped on Google Maps and will be included in the Nature Trail Manual. [11]

Periyar Consultancy Project (1997-2000)

The project involved a complete and comprehensive awareness-attitude survey of visitors, staff and locals at the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala. [10] The objective was to study the awareness level and attitude of people towards forest resources, forest department and ecodevelopment activities. Based on the results of this survey, recommendations were made for new educational activities that could be carried out, new exhibits to be installed to raise the awareness level and outreach programmes to improve community relations. [10] The funding agency was Project Tiger. [10]

Capacity Development Programme for Teachers (1999-2002)

This encompassed the development of new educational material such as displays, signage and audiovisuals as well as training workshops for teachers. A Green Teacher Kit was then developed as a resource material for teachers on natural history and environment education. The project also initiated a series of environmental awareness programmes in schools across Mumbai. [10] The funding agency was the Tata Education Trust. [10]

Vacation Training Programme in Bioresources for School Children (2005-2006)

A month-long course was designed to train and enhance awareness in school children about the relevance of bioresources, and the relationship between bioresources and biotechnology. [10] The course consisted of extensive field trips to different ecosystems within Mumbai. The funding was done by Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India. [10]

Conservation Education Programme for Underprivileged Children (2006-2007)

The project was commenced in January 2006 and involved bringing groups of underprivileged children through NGOs for an all expenses paid visit to CEC. The CEC was visited by 2535 students form 16 NGOs and 10 schools. [10] This project also encompassed a wide variety of innovative installations like new displays for the display room, signage for the nature trails and even a wallpaper magazine, Dhanesh, that was distributed amongst BMC schools. [10] The funding was done by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Department of State, American Consulate. [10]

Hornbill Nature Clubs for Underpriviledged Schools (2010-2011)

Named after the iconic mascot of the Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill Clubs were designed to be conservation nature clubs. In 2007, Hornbill Nature Clubs were initiated and established in two schools for underprivileged students: Maharani Sai Bai Vidyalaya and Mangesh Vidyalaya. These nature clubs focused on imparting environment literacy through indoor and outdoor programmes. In 2008, Hornbill nature clubs were set up in two additional schools viz Harnai Vidyalaya and Gurukul Vidyalaya. [10] The funding of this project was done by Dr. Mrudula Thakkar.

World Environment Day in Mumbai (2011)

The project aimed at creating awareness about Mumbai's environment amongst the citizens. Under this project the World Environment Day was celebrated in Mumbai and funded by Ministry of Environment and Forests and UNEP. Through this project, the Bombay Natural History Society developed 22 panel exhibition on Mumbai'seEnvironment. [10] This exhibition was installed at CST and Churchgate stations from 2–4 June 2011. [10]

On the eve of World Environment Day, the closing ceremony was organized at BNHS's Conservation Education Centre, wherein the book Green Guide for Teachers was launched by the hands of Smt. Usha Thorat, Vice-president, BNHS. The bilingual book was funded by MMR Environment Improvement Society (MMREIS) and Sir Dorabaji Tata Trust. [10]

Related Research Articles

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Public engineering institution located in Powai, Mumbai

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay is a public technical and research university located in Powai, Mumbai, India.

Bombay Natural History Society Indian conservation and biodiversity research NGO

The Bombay Natural History Society, founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research. It supports many research efforts through grants and publishes the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. Many prominent naturalists, including the ornithologists Sálim Ali and S. Dillon Ripley, have been associated with it. The society is commonly known by its initials, BNHS.

Salim Ali Indian ornithologist

Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali was an Indian ornithologist and naturalist. Sometimes referred to as the "Birdman of India", Salim Ali was the first Indian to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and wrote several bird books that popularized ornithology in India. He became a key figure behind the Bombay Natural History Society after 1947 and used his personal influence to garner government support for the organisation, create the Bharatpur bird sanctuary and prevent the destruction of what is now the Silent Valley National Park. Along with Sidney Dillon Ripley he wrote the landmark ten volume Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan, a second edition of which was completed after his death. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1958 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1976, India's third and second highest civilian honours respectively. Several species of birds, a couple of bird sanctuaries and institutions have been named after him.

Goregaon Suburb in Mumbai Suburban, Maharashtra, India

Goregaon is a suburb of Mumbai city, in the Mumbai Suburban district of India. It has a railway station on the Mumbai suburban railway on the Western Line. An extension of the Harbour Line was completed in 2018 because of which it has regular trains to CST on the Harbour line. This is in addition to existing trains to Churchgate on the Western Line. Owing to the rapid urbanization and growing population of metropolitan Mumbai, Goregaon, which was once merely a hilly forest region is now a crowded suburb of Mumbai.

Wilson College, Mumbai college in Mumbai

The Wilson College, set up in 1832 in Mumbai, is one of India's oldest colleges; its foundation precedes that of the University of Mumbai, to which it is affiliated, by 25 years. It was awarded an A rating by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 2005.

Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden botanical garden

Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG), formerly known as Kadoorie Experimental and Extension Farm (嘉道理試驗及推廣農場), or Kadoorie Farm (嘉道理農場), was originally set up to aid poor farmers in the New Territories in Hong Kong. It later shifted its focus to promote biodiversity conservation in Hong Kong and south China, and greater environmental awareness. It is located near Pak Ngau Shek, encompassing Kwun Yum Shan in the central New Territories; The Farm was built in a valley with streams, woodlands and terraces in 1956 by the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association. Now it is managed to integrate nature conservation, including a rescue and rehabilitation programme for native animals, along with holistic education and practices in support of a transition to sustainable living. The farm attracts about 3000 to 5000 visitors per week.

WWF-India is the Indian part of the WWF. It has an autonomous office, with the Secretariat based in New Delhi and various state, divisional and project offices spread across India.

Bittu Sahgal environmental activist

Bittu Sahgal is an environmental activist, writer, and the founder of Sanctuary Nature Foundation, an Indian nonprofit conservation organization that works on environmental policy, advocacy, science, on-ground support and habitat management. He is also the founding editor of Sanctuary Asia, a wildlife and ecology magazine.

Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History

The Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) is a national centre for information, education and research in ornithology and natural history in India. It was inspired by and named in honour of Salim Ali, the leading pioneer of ornithology in India. It is an autonomous organisation established in 1990 as a public- NGO partnership between the MoEF&CC, and the Bombay Natural History Society(BNHS) under the Centre of Excellence Scheme and registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act. Its headquarters are at Anaikatti, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. SACON is associated with the Ministry of Environment and Forests SACON's mission is:

Government Engineering College, Kozhikode Government Engineering College, Kozhikode

The Government Engineering College, Kozhikode (GECK) is an engineering institution under the Department of Technical Education in Kozhikode, Kerala, India. Kerala's state government founded it in August 1999, and it has been rated consistently among the top technical institutes in the state.

The LIFE Programme the European Union’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action

The LIFE Programme is the European Union’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action. The general objective of LIFE is to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental and climate policy and legislation by co-financing projects with European added value.

National Biodiversity Centre (Singapore)

The National Biodiversity Centre is a branch of the National Parks Board and serves as Singapore’s one-stop centre for biodiversity-related information and activities. It manages all available information and data on biodiversity in Singapore. Diverse biodiversity-related information and data are currently generated, stored and updated by different organisations and individuals. The National Biodiversity Centre will maximize the usefulness of such information and data by linking them in a single meta-database. Having complete and up-to-date information is crucial for many decision-making processes involving biodiversity. This hub of biodiversity information and data at the National Biodiversity Centre will also allow knowledge gaps to be better identified and addressed.

S. A. Hussain Indian ornithologist

Syed Abdulla Hussain was an Indian ornithologist. He is best known for the work he undertook at the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) along with Salim Ali. A species of frog Nyctibatrachus hussaini from Kudremukh near his home, was named after him but the species name later became embroiled in controversy.

The Common Bird Monitoring Program is a citizen science bird monitoring program of India. It is a pioneer project that aims to engage general public in the collection of baseline data on 18 common bird species. Data collected will be used to map species abundance and distribution throughout the Indian subcontinent.

Nirmal Ulhas Kulkarni is a herpetologist, field ecologist, conservationist, and wildlife photographer. Director (Ecology) of Wildernest Nature Resort, an eco-tel in the Chorla Ghats (Goa), Chairman of the Mhadei Research Centre, Team Lead of Hypnale Research Station and promoter of HERPACTIVE, a study initiative on Herpetofauna. As of December 2012, he lives in Goa.

Vanashakti organization

Vanashakti is a non-profit environmental NGO based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was formed in 2006, by Meenakshi Menon, Namita Roy Ghose, and Peter Armand Menon. Vanashakti aims to conserve the forests, wetlands and wildlife corridors and habitats, create awareness about environmental topics, protect and revive rivers and prevent opencast mining in the areas that are well-endowed with biodiversity. It also directs its efforts in involving local forest-dwelling communities to protect the biodiversity of the region and provides sustainable livelihood options for forest dependent and coastal communities.

The Institute for Biodiversity and Environmental Research in Brunei Darussalam is a research institute of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) dedicated to biodiversity and environmental sciences research and education. IBER's location within the northwest Borneo hotspot offers unique opportunities for long-term studies in both terrestrial and marine tropical ecosystems.

Ravi Sankaran was an Indian ornithologist whose work concerned the conservation of several threatened birds of India. He was the Director of the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Ravi studied at the Rishi Valley School, Madanapalli, Andhra Pradesh; obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from Loyola College, Chennai and a doctorate from Bombay Natural History Society Ravi joined the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) in 1985 in the endangered species project on the great Indian bustard and florican species and played a role in developing recovery plans for these species. He also established Florican Watch, involving local people.

Mongolian Ornithological Society

The Mongolian Ornithological Society (MOS), was founded in 1999 in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar. It is non-profit environmental organisation dedicated to the research and conservation of birds and their habitats, and also other wildlife in Mongolia. It publishes a peer-reviewed annual scientific journal, Ornis Mongolica, and other bird-related books, guidebooks and papers on bird research works and conservation activities in Mongolia and other countries. The Society raises funds for conservation and educational activities by arranging bird watching and wildlife tours to different parts of Mongolia. The society puts great emphasis on educating young researchers and raising public awareness on conservation. Its board members consist of well-known ornithologists, biologists and ecologists from Mongolia and other countries. In collaboration with the Ornithological Laboratory at the National University of Mongolia, a total of more than 30 scientific theses by bachelors, masters, and Ph.D. students have been supervised by members of the society.

References

  1. ↑ About CEC. "About CEC". CEC. Nucleus Advertising/Nucleus Internet. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  2. ↑ CEC Education Programmes. "CEC". Nucleus Advertising/Nucleus Internet. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 CEC. "History of CEC". CEC. Nucleus Advertising/Nucleus Internet. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  4. ↑ Education, Programmes. "Student Programmes". CEC. Nucleus Advertising/Nucleus Internet. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  5. ↑ CEC CSR. "CEC". Nucleus Advertising/Nucleus Internet. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Biodiversity Survey. "CEC". Nucleus Advertising/Nucleus Internet. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 CEC Online Courses. "CEC". Nucleus Advertising/Nucleus Internet. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 4 CEC Training. "CEC". Nucleus Advertising/Nucleus Internet. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  9. ↑ Conservation Projects. "CEC". Nucleus Advertising/Nucleus Internet. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Completed Projects. "CEC". Nucleus Advertising/Nucleus Internet. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Ongoing Projects. "CEC". Nucleus Advertising/Nucleus Internet. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.

https://web.archive.org/web/20170420231203/http://bnhs.org/bnhs/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=125&Itemid=502

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.