Twenty seven students from ten government schools in Ziro packed their bags and trekked 15 kilometers east of Hapoli to the Pange forest. They were participating in the Environment Awareness Camp organized by Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) and Ngunu Ziro, supported by Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE) and Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) as a part of the project "Community-based Conservation in Talle Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh".
The ten participating schools included Tajang Secondary School, Dutta Middle School, TPD Middle School, Gandhi Middle School, Hapoli Secondary School, Hill Top Primary School, Siiro Primary School, Hong Middle School and Old Ziro Middle School. They carried out various activities designed to educate and entertain them in the forest under the guidance of the Local Coordinating Committee (LCC) members who were the resource persons.
The highlight of the program was demonstration of much misunderstood snake as a friendly creature. When the resource person caught a snake and started playing with it, the children's fear gave way to curiosity and then to pleasure when they were convinced that snakes are lovely creatures.
The three-day camp was full of explorations and adventures. Their findings in the day were presented in the evenings.
To mark the Children's Day in a special way, the students planted trees in the camp of the Forest Range Officer at Pange.
It was not all works, though. The evening camp-fires were the event the children as well the resource persons looked forward to after days activities. They danced and sang in the stillness of the forest.
When it was time to get back to the town, the children wanted more. They had to go back now, but more they will have in the coming days!
More details are here.
