Wildlife Crime Database - a workshop

Wildlife Conservation Nepal conducted “Workshop on the Establishment of Wildlife Crime Database” from March 10 to March 11, 2008 at Thakurdwara, Bardia National Park.The workshop focused on the establishment of a Wildlife Crime Database and on limiting poaching inside national park. More than 50 participants representing Nepal Army, Nepal Ex-police, members of civil societies and National Park authorities participated in the workshop. There were five speakers and most dealt on controlling wildlife crime and poaching inside Bardia National park and its buffer zone areas. The main theme of this workshop was to develop a database, collect information and how it could be shared from national to district level to control wildlife crime. The database can bridge information gaps amongst different enforcement agencies to thwart organize wildlife crime syndicate and wildlife crime offenders.


 
Mr. Prasanna Yonzon, CEO, WCN during the workshop        Mr. Fanindra Kharel, chief warden of Bardia National Park addressing
                                                                                             the participants

Support to National Park

To support Bardia National Park in its monitoring activity inside the park, WCN provided 22 bicycles to Nepal Army for silent patrolling. The cycles will be used to patrol areas inaccessible by vehicles, an effective way to monitor illicit activities in the park. This is an effort of WCN to support national parks in protecting endangered wildlife from the onslaught of poachers and traders. WCN will support more parks in the coming months. Similarly, it supported Rara National Park and Makalu Barun National Park and Conservation Area by providing warm gears and equipments. WCN has supported Chitwan National Park anti-poaching unit to protect rhinos and tigers from poachers.

                                      
                                              Cycles given to Bardia National Park army personnel for patrolling

Volunteer recruitment workshop

Two day volunteer recruitment workshop was organized on July 27-28, 2009 at WCN office premises. More than 33 volunteers from different academic backgrounds and educational institution participated in the workshop.

In order to make the participants acquainted with the concept of Nature School Mr. Deepak Rana, Trustee, WCN gave a brief introduction of Nature School from the initial phase of its development till the present status. Ms.Ritu Gurung, Program Manager of WCN gave an insight to WCN Nature School and highlighted on the ongoing Program of WCN.  Mr. Ukesh Raj Bhuju, an eminent conservation educationist of Nepal and advisor to NPP provided an insight of conservation education in Nepal. He further talked about bringing positive changes in the attitudes of the common mass towards conservation. At the end of the first session, queries raised by the enthusiastic participants were answered by the workshop facilitator. 

  
Glimpse from the volunteer recruitment program (L. Mr. Ukesh R Bhuju giving an insight about conservation

education in Nepal; R. Ms. Ritu Gurung briefing the participants about Nature school and its future activities)

The second day of the workshop was focused on a mind-mapping session where the workshop participants developed and discussed new programs and activities that they thought could bring a positive change in the attitudes of students. The participants put forth the ideas in their mind maps through short presentations. These ideas will be incorporated into the outreach programs that WCN Mobile Nature School will be launching in the different schools encompassing both the urban and semi urban areas of the Valley. These WCN volunteers were recruited based on their merit and performance.

                                     The participants during the volunteer recruitment program
 

Towards a greener future

Wildlife Conservation Nepal (WCN) with a mission to generate awareness amongst students on the significance of natural resources especially the TREES celebrated this year’s World Environment day by planting more than 2000 trees in Kathmandu and Chitwan Valley. Built on this year’s theme of World Environment Day ‘ Many Species, One planet , One Future’ WCN conducted awareness campaign amongst students of both schools and colleges on the impacts of Climate change, the increasing urbanization and significance of Trees.

The school students from Chitrasaree High School, Chitwan  and New Speedy English Boarding School, Chitwan  underwent a one day workshop prior to the tree plantation program. Different presentations on the burning issue of climate change and the importance of trees was made to the students during the workshop. The students were then divided into groups and were introduced into activities – collage making, draw your tree and tree as a habitat. The students learned about making collages with the help of used materials and old magazines and showcased the importance of trees and impacts of deforestation through their collages. Similarly they also put forward their views in the form of an art on the role of the trees through draw your tree activity. With the help of bug magnifier, bug vaccum, hand lens , binoculars and identification book the students learned that tree does not only balances our ecosystem but also provideds a habitat for birds and insects. The students were also taught about how trees should be planted.

In a similar program organized at WCN office in Kathmandu the bachelor level students from College of Applied Science (CAS) presented a paper on climate change and different ways to cope with it followed by a discussion. The seminar concluded with a tree plantation program in Kathmandu where students along with the local community members planted trees in a barren land with an objective to develop it as a bird habitat amidst the dense urban area.

Wildlife Conservation Nepal would like to thank LEAF international for supporting us in our cause to plant trees in Chitwan and Kathmandu, Nepal.  

Glimpses

Students during the activity tree as a habitat in the one day workshop at Chitwan.

The students of New Speedy Boarding school during the workshop and the tree plantation program

The students of Chitrasaree high school, chitwan during the tree plantation and the workshop prior to the plantation program.

NPP workshops kicks off

WCN Mobile Nature School, Nepal Prakriti Pathshala (NPP), has started off in the valley from the month of August, 2009 with an aim to provide awareness on the emerging environmental issues. NPP is trying to reach out to the students where they are across the valley covering both government and private schools. NPP targets to reach to more than 40 schools this year. NPP through its workshop is trying to provide an insight on climate change.  During the workshop the students are divided into groups and are involved in various NPP activities based on the teaching manuals developed by NPP. The teaching materials are developed with a special focus on tree and water, two very important components of the ecosystem.

Glimpse of the workshop