|
|
|
XXIV Certificate Course in Wildlife Management concluded
The Course concluded on January 30, 2009. The officer trainees were taken for the field tours at various Protected Areas and Institutions in the country. The Management Tour was conducted from January 2-21, 2009 to National Zoological Park, Delhi; Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan; Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary, Panna National Park, Kanha Tiger Reserve and Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh; and Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. This tour exposed the officer trainees to a variety of management practices across several Protected Areas and ex-situ conservation areas in the central and southern parts of the country.
 |
 |
| Shri S.C. Dey, Secretary General, Global Tiger Forum, New Delhi presenting awards to Mr. Alkab Hasan and Mrs. Anita Bhardwaj. | |
The Valedictory Function was organized on January 30, 2009. Shri S.C. Dey, Secretary General, Global Tiger Forum, New Delhi, was the Chief Guest on the occasion. He presented the Certificates and various awards to the officer trainees. All thirteen officer trainees were awarded ‘Certificate in Wildlife Management’ on successful completion of the course. Ten of them obtained the “Honours Certificate in Wildlife Management”. The Institute’s Gold Medal for the ‘Top Trainee’ was jointly awarded to Mr. Alkab Hasan from Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Mrs. Anita Bhardwaj from Himachal Pradesh. Mr. Alkab Hasan also bagged Institute’s Prize for Wildlife Management. Institute’s Prize for Best All Round Wildlifer was awarded to Mr. Alok Kumar, Arunachal Pradesh. Ms. Uzma Noureen from Pakistan was awarded the Institute’s Prize for the Best Foreign Trainee. Contact: gopigv@wii.gov.in
Two-day Training Programme for Spearhead Teams of Keshopur Chhamb and Lalwan Community Reserves, Hoshiarpur, February 3-4, 2009. As per the request of Chief Wildlife Warden, Punjab the task of preparing the management plan for Keshopur-Chhamb reserve is undertaken by the Wildlife Institute of India. As a part of this initiative, a two-day training programme was organised by the Institute in association with Punjab Forest and Wildlife Department for spearhead teams of Keshopur Chhamb and Lalwan Community Reserves. Each spearhead teams comprised local staff of the area and the representatives of the village communities. The objective of this training programme was to sensitize the team about the importance of the area, provide them skills required for micro-planning and inculcate the basic attitudes for preparation of village level plans. In total, 45 participants joined this training programme. The programme was inaugurated by Chief Wildlife Warden Punjab on February 3, 2009. A field visit was made to Keshopur to have an interaction with the communities of the reserve. In this interaction, the problem analysis and strategy formulation carried out for the reserve were discussed with the communities, and in the light of their suggestions prioritization of strategies was carried out. This training programme has helped in formulating management plan for the Reserve. Contact: anilbhardwaj @wii.gov.in
 |
| The participants were sensitized towards participatory biodiversity conservation initiatives. |
Short course on “Capacity Building in Biodiversity Conservation and Related Issues”, Dehradun, February 16-19, 2009. The Institute conducted this course for the Village Sarpanch and field staff of Askot Landscape in Pithoragarh Forest Division, Uttarakhand on the request from Uttarakhand Forest Department. In all thirty participants attended the training programme. The major focus of the programme was to sensitize the village level people and the field staff towards participatory biodiversity conservation initiatives. The training programme had classroom lectures, exercises, case studies and a field visit to Rajaji National Park. The status of biodiversity with special emphasis on Askot Landscape, various threats to biodiversity, the key principles of participatory biodiversity processes viz. ecodevelopment including the issues of levels of participation, situational analysis, livelihood improvement and micro-planning were covered in the training programme. In the Valedictory Function, the Conservator of Forests, North-Kumaon Circle, Almora was present and had interactions with the participants. Contact: melkani@ wii.gov.in
Two-week special short term course in “Wildlife Protection, Law and Forensic Science” for the Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Central Excise) Group ‘A’ probationers of 59th batch, Dehradun, March 16-27, 2009. CITES, an international
 |
| Customs & Central Excise probationers were told about the legal implications of trade in wild plants and animals. |
agreement between governments aims to ensure that international trade in wild plants and animals do not threaten their survival and it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 33,000 species of flora and fauna by listing them. WII has been regularly imparting training to the probationers of Customs & Central Excise on the international agreements and the legal implications of trade in wild plants and animals.
The training module aimed at sensitizing the young officers towards wildlife trade in the country and their role in controlling it. The course was attended by 52 officers. Inputs were given on importance of plant taxonomy; trade in medicinal plants; and the role of wildlife forensic in dealing with wildlife cases. The officers were also taken to protected areas including Rajaji National Park and Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, where they had interaction with forest officers and frontline field staff. Contact: gsbhardwaj@wii.gov.in