Debrigarh Sanctuary’s Green Initiative: Engaging Students & Communities For Wildlife Conservation | Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary authorities have once again garnered public attention with the ‘Debrigarh Abhinandan’ programme, an innovative initiative to promote environmental awareness among school-going students.

According to the official notification, “On July 27, the Debrigarh Sanctuary authorities inaugurated the ‘Debrigarh Abhinandan’ programme at Belbahali and Khajuria Schools, attended by one hundred students and teachers.”

The initiative was launched with a drawing competition at both schools, themed ‘Wildlife of Debrigarh’, giving students insight into the diverse flora and fauna within the sanctuary premises.

The year-long programme aims to cover 36 schools in 48 fringe villages located on the borders of the Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary.

During this programme, students will learn about the importance of wildlife and environment conservation through various activities, including quizzes, drawing competitions, and movie shows related to the wildlife sanctuary.

Apart from competitions and academic activities, it also aims to promote learning through field visits and selecting young volunteers as ambassadors for the wildlife sanctuary. It also enables teachers to learn more and make students aware of the history, habitat, and other aspects of the Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, with values of wildlife and environment conservation.

The initiative also aspires to effectively manage human-animal conflict by making locals aware of the do’s and don’ts when animals stray out of the wildlife sanctuary.

Under the program, large display boards portraying images of different varieties of animals and birds commonly found in the sanctuary, along with information on Debrigarh Sanctuary and Hirakud wetland, are scheduled to be installed in all 36 schools, with 24 schools already covered.

In 2022 and 2023, numerous meetings and workshops were held with the Eco Development Committees (EDCs) in all 48 villages surrounding the Debrigarh Sanctuary.

To foster support and raise awareness about wildlife protection among the local community, the Hirakud Wildlife Division undertook various initiatives last year, including installation of solar street lights, distributing torch lights, and engaging protection squads from these villages.

These efforts aimed to engage the local community in wildlife conservation and promote a collaborative approach to protecting the Debrigarh Sanctuary.

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