|
 |
SLTP Meet
When a bunch of like-minded and dedicated people get together for a cause of tiger conservation with a long-term support from equally dedicated and renowned organisations, the outcome is encouraging and satisfying.
Satpuda Landscape Tiger Partnership (SLTP) is a fine and perhaps the only example of a consortium of NGOs such as Satpuda Foundation, BNHS, TRACT, Conservation Action Trust, Nature Conservation Society of Amravati, Baavan and The Corbett Foundation, that has been working across the large central Indian landscape for 15 years with a common goal and agenda.
The SLTP today covers around 12 tiger reserves and important corridor areas in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh trying to ensure conservation of tigers and preservation of its habitat in collaboration with respective forest departments. This joint work is being undertaken with the unstinting financial support from the Born Free Foundation and drawing expertise from the WildCRU of Oxford University.
This 15-year Partnership has several successes achieved by overcoming challenges at the grassroots to the policy level. The partners met in Kaziranga in March to share their work, learning and challenges in 2018 and to plan for 2019.
|
|
|
|
|
Protecting Elephant Corridors
TCF has collaborated with Wildlife Trust of India in its Green Corridor Champion program, a vital initiative for securing elephant corridor. Three corridors namely Malani-Kota-Ringora-Bijrani, Chilkiya-Kota-Sunderkhal and South Patlidun-Chilkiya-Mohan-Kumeria in Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand have been identified for this work.
The initiative will cover four different aspects of conservation viz. seasonal monitoring of corridor areas, simultaneously creating awareness amongst local communities, implementation of measures to reduce Human-Wildlife conflict and actions aiming to protect the elephant habitats.The first season for monitoring of the elephant corridors has ended recently in March 2019. Thirty eight transects were completed along the three corridors.
|
|
|
|
|
Awareness can impact elephant conservation positively |
|
|
Awareness sessions
As a part of elephant corridor conservation project,
preliminary meetings in the corridor villages are on to get acquainted with locals and to seek geographic, demographic and infrastructural information of the villages. Simultaneously awareness sessions are being organized to sensitize them about the need of elephant conservation
.
|
|
|
|
Consultative discussions
During one of the community meetings at village Ringora, people shared the issues faced due to crop depredation by elephants and other herbivores. Our team also had a consultative discussion with the people of Patkot village to ideate new ways to deal with and manage human-elephant conflict.
|
|
|
|
Interactions with kids
Discussions with school kids were full of life and energy, talking about various aspects of elephants, what this animal means to them, how they behave and their importance for our nature. A short movie ‘Elephants never forget’ was also screened for them which they enjoyed with lot of zest. Kids also participated in drawing and colouring activities with the books provided by Wildlife Trust of India.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Watchtower strengthens the surveillance
|
|
|
Burapahar range of Kaziranga National Park (KNP), hosts hundreds of acres of pristine grassland, location most favoured by rhinos for grazing, hence quite sensitive and makes surveillance critical.
After a detailed survey of this area by TCF and officials of KNP, TCF put forward a proposal to fund construction of an anti-poaching surveillance watchtower at Phulaguri area in Burapahar range of KNP which can help forest department to be more vigilant about movement of poachers and protect rhinos more effectively in this area. |
|
|
|
The proposal was welcomed by forest department and a strategic location at the confluenec of two waterbodies overlooking a vast stretch of grassland, was finalized in consensus with senior forest officials.
By completing all the documentation process, the construction of 23 ft high watchtower is now underway and once complete can aid in surveillance of 200 acres of open grassland.The initiative is supported by TCF’s Conservation and Rehabilitation of Endangered Species (Cares) Project , funded by Axis Bank Foundation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
A state level Mowgli Utsav was celebrated in six national parks of Madhya Pradesh state from 24th – 30 th March.
The very purpose of this festival was to help kids understand role of nature in our life, our responsibility towards environment and thereby instil love for nature in their minds.
|
|
|
|
|
Around 80 students from nine different districts of the state participated in this festival.
They were taken to the jungle safaris and trekking, educating them about the nature, history and cultural aspects of the places they visited.
Students were curious and excited and asked umpteen questions about the wild world that was quite new to them.
|
|
|
|
|
TCF’s Bandhavgarh and Kanha divisions engaged the event as knowledge partner to share information on nature and wildlife, sensitise students on the current issues related to conservation of wildlife and need to protect them.
Kids also enthusiastically participated in quiz competitions and winners were rewarded.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
‘Jungle Jasoos’ board game is one of our candid efforts to bring nature to kids, pulling them into a new world and allowing it to influence them.
Meant for nature lovers from 8 years and above, this game will take all, on an exciting wild adventure exploring the forests of Satpuda Landscape coupled with learning about its amazing biodiversity and conservation values.
|
|
|
|
Understanding that investing in education is investing in forests, through project ‘Khel Khel Mein’, we plan to take the game to around 300 schools in all six tiger reserves of Madhya Pradesh. The teachers are being trained, dices are rolling and our team is already on the go.
Hem Chand Mahindra Foundation whole-heartedly supports this initiative that involves nature education for kids through game along with teacher’s training.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
