Wildlife week celebrations- 2015 at GHNP

Wildlife week celebrations have been kick started by the Park Authorities on 2^nd October 2015 at the Shai Ropa complex with the traditional Mahila Mela (Women Festival).  It is the tradition of the park to associate the women folk and girl students from both the Sainj and Tirtan valleys in this auspicious celebration since 1991. The name Mahila Mela has aptly been given to emphasis the women folk as integral part of the Conservation of the Nature. Women groups and students performed Kullu Nattia (Kullu folk dance) with the themes of preservation of the traditional culture, which in turn speaks volumes about the value of forest – birds, rivers, tress and animals. The enthusiastic Students have performed the dance-drama about conservation of nature. The one day festival sent message of conservation to the masses by their own folks in their own language.

Traditional folk dance at Mahila Mela at GHNP, 2015

Locals watching traditional folk dance at Mahila Mela, GHNP

After the creation of mass awareness among the women folks, the young minds of school children were ignited with theme of “Sustainable tourism in Wildlife areas. The theme has been sent in the form of Nature trekking, slogan and essay writing and painting competitions to the students of Primary, Middle and Secondary schools of different villages located on the periphery of National Park and the Sanctuaries in GHNP Division and Wildlife Division Kullu in which hundreds of students from 37 schools participated the function.

Children engaged in slogan writing and painting competition during Wildlife week celebrations at GHNP, 2015

GHNP officials checking children’s work during wildlife week at GHNP, 2015

In this series, yet another program called “Bird Race an event to record more number of bird species, was conducted at the popular tourist destination of the western Himalayas, i.e. Manali. The wildlife interpretation centre at Manali was overwhelmed by the school children and enthusiastic bird watchers, who have recorded a number of bird species. For this purpose four different routes were identified around Manali town. Each group was headed by one or two resource persons along with Conservator GHNP, DFO WL Kullu and Fifteen to Seventeen students from different schools were in one group all along the trekking route. On this occasion, Conservator of forests, GHNP have spread the message about the importance of birds in the maintenance of ecology and their intangible role in the food chain.

Bird Race at Manali during Wildlife Week 2015

Group photo after bird race during wildlife week 2015

All the children were very happy and at the end of this Bird race they were in a position to identify few birds easily. In the afternoon session the winners of slogan writing, painting and essay writing participants were awarded with prizes. Conservator GHNP distributed the prizes to the winners. Similar exercises were conducted in various schools around the protected areas of Kullu and Mandi Districts as per schedule framed. Local Range Officers distributed the prizes to the winning participants.

Prize distribution ceremony after children competition at wildlife week

Prize distribution ceremony after children competition at wildlife week 2015

The screening of different films on wild life in the Interpretation Centre was done to the students, visitors and tourists.

List of Events Conducted around the Protected Areas in the eve of Wildlife Week Celebrations- 2015:

To conclude the wildlife week celebrations of this year, the Great Himalayan National Park Circle has conducted a special program of district level open wildlife quiz competition among the school children from the Government Schools of the Kullu district. The quiz having array of questions covering the length and breadth of wildlife and nature conservation were thrown not only to the 24 students from 12 schools, but also to the audiences. The students of Government Senior Secondary School Peej won the first prize while the Bajaura and Bhrain schools secured second and third positions, respectively. Around two hundred and fifty students along with the accompanying teachers with participants, Principal and other faculty of host Government Senior School and field staff of the department attended the function.

The occasion was graced by Sh. Grish Hosur, IFS, Conservator of Forests, Kullu Circle as chef guest, who focused on to bring change in mindset of people towards the sustainable utilization of natural resources for the better future of the humanity.

The Conservator of Forests Great Himalayan National Park, Sh. B.S. Rana, IFS, the man behind the events thanked everyone and stressed upon the School students, who can only bring the desired change in the society besides conservation of wildlife and preserving the traditional culture of the valley.