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Forest officials and students at the Wildlife Week programme, on October 3 at the forest complex in Kohima.[/caption]
Dimapur, Oct. 3 (EMN): Coinciding with the observance of Wildlife Week, the Kohima Wildlife Conservation Award was held on October 3 during which Kigwema village received an award for conservation.
The event was organised by the Kohima Forest division of the department of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
The Week was organised by the Kohima Forest division on October 3. During the program, updates stated.
The government’s publicity agency the department of Information and Public Relations (IPR) gave updates to the media on Thursday informing about the terms.
The district forest officer for Kohima, Rongsenlemla Imchen highlighted the importance and the role of students in wild life conservation. She thanked school students for their active participation in the programme.
A special invitee to the event was chief conservator of Forest Subongnukshi Ao. The IPR stated that he urged the students to ‘know their responsibilities with regard to wildlife and environmental conservation so as to become important agents of change’ for the future. He
The official also highlighted the importance of wildlife and how it affects the food chain and ecosystem, the IPR stated. A presentation on wildlife was presented by support staff. The highlights of the program included a quiz competition and a slogan competition.
Subongnukshi Ao gave away awards to groups in recognition of their work. The Kigwema Biodiversity Trust was awarded with the Wild Life Conservation Award in the category of ‘Green communities’ in recognition for their outstanding initiative in wildlife conservation through community participation.
Vilphre Zhotso, a forest guard at Kohima range received the ‘Green Warrior’ award in recognition for his exemplary service to the department.
Ruokuovikho Chale, chairman of the Kigwema Biodiversity Trust received the award. He expressed gratitude to the department for the recognition and acknowledgement for the efforts rendered by the group’s members, the IPR stated.
Dimapur
The wildlife authorities in Dimapur district observed the Wildlife Week too. The establishment of the director of Intanki National Park organised a workshop in the conference hall of the Forest office complex in Dimapur. The programme was conducted on the topic of wildlife census, for field staff of the Intanki Armed Protection Force, a press release that was received here from the organisers on Thursday stated.
The keynote address of the inaugural programme was delivered by chief wildlife warden of Nagaland, Vedpal Singh. He talked about the need for a wildlife census, the updates stated. He highlighted the significance of the Wildlife Week too, the press release stated.
The principal chief conservator of Forests for Nagaland Rajat Subhra Pal, who was the special guest of the inaugural function, said at the programme that foresters in the modern era are expected to play a more diverse role and not just that of protecting forests and wildlife. The reason he gave was that wildlife issues have taken centre stage in public consciousness, Pal reminded them.
The forest official stated also that taking stock of species diversity of an area is the first step to having a sound management strategy. He urged field officers to keep abreast with the latest techniques and technologies in their field of work.
In related matters, the official opined that the issue of human-animal conflict was one of the most pertinent issues facing Nagaland and that a solution must be arrived at, one that can balance developmental imperatives and conservation principles, the press release stated.
A similar programme was organised by the Forestry Graduates Association of Nagaland in observance of Wildlife Week, which is observed across the country from October 2 to the 8th of every year.
The association organized what it called “nature walk” and Bird Watching on October 2 at Dzüleke village in Kohima district, along with some selected students from Chandmari govt. high school of Kohima, updates stated.
The association issued a press release to the media on Thursday informing about the programme.
“Wildlife Week is celebrated with the objective to make people more aware of the importance of conservation and protection of wildlife,” the group stated.
During the event, the group gave talks about the significance of observing Wildlife Week besides discourses about the importance of protection and conservation.
