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Awareness has always been
a key tool for conservation. Making common people aware about the issue
of the conservation always help tremendously in the process. Lack of
basic knowledge about the need of conservation indulges people to do
harm to their own natural resources and to the environment. Making
people aware about the need of conserving an area helps in building up
the necessary supports from the society. Conservation worthiness for an
area should always be put forwarded by the society and not by the
authorities concerned. To make that happen the society should be
sensitized by providing with the total information about significance of
the area very scientifically and systematically. And this is merely the
job of research organizations, academic agencies, individuals etc.
Promoting conservation
awareness and environment education has been a major area of activity
for Dolphin Foundation since its inception towards achieving the goal of
Biodiversity Conservation in northeastern region of India. Various
programs have already been undertaken during the last 14 yeas period.
These programs were carried out at different levels with issues specific
activities.
CA & EE program for
school students :
This has been a
routine activity of Dolphin Foundation which has already covered a huge
areas of the region. Till the end of the year 2005 about 200 such
programs were organized in various places of the region. In these
programs CA & EE camps were conducted in schools mainly in the rural and
fringe areas of PAs. Various educational materials were developed and
distributed among the school children during the camps.
Teachers Training
Workshops (EE for Teachers) :
The idea of undertaking this program is to reach a large number of
students through educating and orienting School Teachers in various
issues of biodiversity and environment conservation. This program also
helps in reaching a significant portion of the society as the teachers
use to play a role of community leader. About 20 such workshop have
already been organized by Dolphin Foundation in Assam.
Community awareness
program in the fringe of PAs :
This program has been mainly carried out along with the species
conservation program in various project areas of Dolphin Foundation. The
main aim of the program is to sensitize the local communities on the
need of conservation. Developing and dis tributing
different awareness materials like – stickers, leaflets, posters,
t-shirts awareness booklets etc. to the communities ; display of
signboards, glow-signs, banners etc. in the public places ; holding
meetings and dialogues with the communities, natures camps for the
village youths etc. were the main activities of the program.
Conservation awareness
status survey :
This program is for studying and profiling the prevailing level of
conservation awareness among the school children of the peripheral areas
of PAs. The study is being done by carrying out questionnaire surveys in
the village schools. Dolphin Foundation has already covered over 150
such schools and necessary interventions are being taken to upgrade
their awareness level accordingly.
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