Environmental, wildlife conservation must begin in childhood

CH NEWS, KARKALA Awareness about the importance of environmental and wildlife conservation must be inculcated among children from an early age, said Manjunath Poojary, Chairman of the Narayana Guru Development Corporation. He was speaking at the valedictory programme of a series of awareness, outreach and community participation activities organised by the Kudremukh–Karkala Wildlife Division under the theme “Connecting Habitats, Prosperity and Wildlife Conservation. Speaking at the programme held at Perwaje Sundar Puranik Memorial High School, Poojary said that protecting forests would ensure the conservation of water, air, soil and other forms of life. Every living organism has a specific role in the ecosystem. It is the collective responsibility of society to preserve a healthy environment for future generations, he said. Mangaluru DFO Ravishankar, who presided over the programme, said that along with classroom education, children should be given greater opportunities to participate in activities that connect them with nature. Activities such as identifying birds, butterflies and plant species in their surroundings would help children develop a love for nature and a sense of responsibility towards conservation, he said. Forest Department DFO Praveen Kumar Shetty, School Development Committee Vice-President Veena Rajesh, Sri Bhuvanendra Residential School Principal Veena Shenoy and Siddapur Range ACF GD Dinesh were present. Kudremukh Wildlife Division ACF Latha Guru Bhat, who delivered the introductory remarks, said the objective of Wildlife Week was to create awareness among the public about the conservation of wildlife habitats. Preserving our valuable forest resources and diverse wildlife for future generations is the responsibility of all of us, she said. As part of Wildlife Week celebrations, achievers from various fields as well as Forest Department officers and staff were felicitated. Competitions in drawing, elocution, quiz, and identification of trees and animals were organised for primary and high school students and college students. Prizes were presented to the winners. Kudremukh–Karkala Range RFO Subrahmanya Acharya welcomed the gathering, while department staff member Vinutha compered the programme. Manjunath Poojary, Chairman of the Narayana Guru Development Corporation stressed the need to develop environmental consciousness among children at the school level itself and appreciated the decision to place children at the centre of the awareness programme.