Participants with guest and officials during the awareness campaign for nature conservation organized at the Nagaland Zoological Park, Rangapahar Dimapur on February 2. (Photo Courtesy: Wildlife Warden)
DIMAPUR, February 3 (MExN): An awareness campaign for nature conservation was organized at the Nagaland Zoological Park, Rangapahar Dimapur on February 2 by the Forest Department with participants including officers from Police Department and Forest Department and others.
The programme was sponsored by the GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Almora, Uttrakahand (An autonomous Institute of the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India,) under National Mission of Himalayan Studies (NMHS).
CM Chang, Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Nagaland, the special invitee of the programme, in his keynote address, stated that learning nature at any junction of life is beneficial for human beings and we must follow natural laws.
The importance of forest and wildlife, which are part of nature, will remain same in our life at different interval of time. He said that children, students are our future generation. The concept and idea inculcated in their mind for nature conservation will pass from present generation to the future generation. They can play as a brand ambassador of the Forest Department for nature conservation. He appealed the Forest Department to organize such programme for students and children in different parts of the State.
Toshi Wungtuang, Advisor, Department of Information & Public Relations, SCERT, Village Guards, , the guest invitee of the programme, requested the Forest Department to organize such programme for communities and all stake holders.
Satya Prakash Tripathi, PCCF (Wildlife) & Chief Wildlife Warden, Nagaland, in his keynote address, gave a brief background of Learning Nature Centers being developed by the Ministry, under National Mission of Himalayan Studies (NMHS), in all 12 Himalayan States of India including Nagaland, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that the Nagaland Zoological Park, Dimapur is one of the Learning Nature Centre of the State. Basic infrastructure facilities would be developed in the Centre for studying and interpreting nature by visitors.
Earlier, the programme began with invocation prayer by Tonivi Awomi, Pastor, Grace Bible Fellowship, Nagaland Zoological Park, Rangapahar. Dr. Prabhat Kumar, IFS, Director, Nagaland Zoological Park, Rangapahar chaired the programme and welcomed the participants. He highlighted on the need of human close association with nature. The vote of thanks was proposed by Obed Bohovi Swu, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Officer-In –charge, Nagaland Zoological Park.
