EDUCATION/ MASS AWARENESS CAMPAIGNING FOR SPECIES CONSERVATION

We believe the most effective means of conserving nature is to refamilarize local people with the interdependence of species, including humans, in the web of life, and to support them in protecting that web.  To us, “mass awareness” doesn’t always mean making flashy or sophisticated presentations – it means talking in simple and real terms, to individuals and groups, and providing support to fuel enthusiasm.

We’ve described below some of our work for specific species.

Snakes

As a result of implementing scores of snake awareness programmes, including a film made by iREBEL, we have drastically curtailed the unnecessary killing of snakes in our work area.  These education campaigns help villagers identify commonly found snakes, both venomous and non-venemous, and inform them on the critical and helpful-to-humans roles they play in the ecosystem.  Monitoring for the past fifteen years of twelve prevalent snake species found in and around Belun indicates increases in the populations.

 

Turtles

Turtles are relatively common in lakes and ponds in our work area, and collecting them for meat was formerly widespread.  Through a challenging awareness campaign aimed at providing information on their importance in the ecosystem, we have drastically curtailed or even stopped altogether their killing.

 

Kingfishers

The Common, Pied, White-Throated, Brown-Headed, and Stork-Billed Kingfishers all inhabit our work area, nesting in the sloped banks of water bodies. 

Small Cats

The village of Belun and its surroundings currently has a small population of Jungle Cat; this species was once relatively abundant.  The cat’s habitat is in decline, and, until recently, it was killed due to the perception that it preyed on domestic fowl.  iREBEL undertook a long-term awareness campaign to demonstrate bioeconomic study data on the Jungle Cat and its impact on agricultural output. The study showed that the Jungle Cat is actually a boon to farmers as the value of crops it saves by eating rats is significantly higher than the value of any domestic fowl it consumes.  The result has been stopping of unnecessary killing of Jungle Cats.

Gangetic Dolphins

These elusive animals, once common in the Ganges, are now confined to a few pockets along the entire length of the river.  We have located a previously undocumented population in the surrounding areas of Burdwan, Murshidabad and Nabadwip in West Bengal (Burdwan District).  The number of dolphins estimated to inhabit the area at Kalyanpur Ghat (12 km from the Katwa-Burdwan area) is 11, including two babies.  This location is conducive to dolphin survival and we have successfully undertaken a mass awareness campaign and human/dolphin conflict assessment, with special emphasis on the fishing community.  We have also performed boat surveys to photographically document the dolphins.