Nature education
- Part 2 -

Akham Bonbirdhwaja Singh *

Sangai - Brow-antlered deer in its natural habitat at Keibul Lamjao National Park :: Pix - Sushil Khomdram

Present modules designed so are mostly for general public on pleasure cum learning on holidays models.

i). Guided Tours: the experience guides can help in learning faster

ii). Nature Awareness Camps: a). Actual camps in the field are exciting expe rience.

b). Interaction-Family Fireside Story type

c) Nature Runs/Hiking on nature trails, Ecotourism

iii). Learn to imitate nature

iv). Knowing our treasures better: a). There can be com ponents of seeing Zoos, Arboretums, PAs, Planetarium etc.

b). Films, Slide Shows

v). Self Service : Garbage litter disposal

vi). Adventure Components: a). Night Walks and Cannopy Walks b). Treetop Huts

It can be seen that, one park or a garden cannot become a nature education centre, nor one centre can have all the facilities. But a centre should have at least four or five facilities from amongst the items mentioned above. Having Diorama, replica, specimens or life size statues also add to the educational value of the NEC.

8. Teaching aids

Audio Visuals: With the advent of computer and IT, there has been tremendous increase in the efficacy of audio visual aides. So, shifting of lecture venues deep in to wilderness is not a problem anymore, the audio visual aides can be given more real life effects. Now films on nature education are available on any issue. But I would say that the audio visual aides should be used to the minimum and occasional and learning should be first hand of the knowledge of the participants themselves.

Nature Interpretation Centres: Nowadays, the nature areas and PAN are attached with Nature Interpretation Centres and Museums. It is a good place for learning.

Specimens: Live specimens and preserved specimens are important in nature education. In South Africa, Schools, Pre schools and Child Care Centres do not require approval from the animal ethics committee to borrow animals from the Nature Education Centre and government facilities.

9. Dedicated areas for Nature Education:

I. Nature Education Centres: Nowadays, exclusive areas for nature education has come up in many countries. Designing a nature education centre is very important. An NEC can be made by linking the existing nature areas with the education centres or it can be an entirely separate facility like that of Tata Nature Education Centre or GEER Foundation.

For setting up a purely independent NEC, there should be sufficient space. I feel that, about 15 ha would be ideal, with the existing settings having hillocks and plains area and some existing streams. The existing vegetation and trees should be evaluated as per a master plan before removing anything. The components mentioned above are to be provided while planning. Care should be taken that

a). All the plants and roads are labelled

b). An interpretation museum/centre

c) Enough space for camping sites

d) Creation and use of star items

e). Less of constructions and only natural materials to be used for constructions

f). Enough signage for slogans are displayed, prominently, but not too showy

II. Nature and PAN Areas: The nature and PAN areas can also be places for nature education. The Parks and Botanical Gardens also could be good places. The ecotourism in such areas with experienced guides also could be a sort of nature education trip. There are plenty of scopes for learning about nature in ecotourism areas. A well structured and planned ecotourism trip can be highly learning, but in ecotourism, the quantum of thrills and amusement seem to have been more than the purely nature education trips. An ideal one could be a Nature Education Centre attached to a nature area, where learning could be combined with all excitements attached to a nature Area. This way, we can increase the educational value of ecotourism. Otherwise, ecotourism is intended to be community based tourism with the purpose of saving the wildlife as well as making a source of livelihood for the concerned people.

III. Importance of NET and guides

The nature education centre includes many informative and attractive field and outdoor display areas, such as an arboretum, a rocks and mineral garden, a medicinal plants garden, a demonstration tree nursery, an insectarium and a museum. The nature education teacher should be able to organise the facilities available and capture the imagination of the participants. Some tips for a nature education teachers (NET) are:

a. Learn and Teach

b. Innovate various techniques

c. Introduce exercises on voluntourism to increase self esteem

d. Play and learn about nature

e. Practicals on creating environment for birds and small animal

In certain nature and ecotourism areas, the volunteer guides are used so that the people living near ecotourism areas gets a means of earning and stays away from poaching and encroachment. On the other hand, they help the participants get the insight of the nature area. Such programmes are more successful if we get good teachers or guides. It shall be necessary to build up a good base of NETs, to start with, the foresters could be good NETs.

IV. Conclusion:

The nature education programmes cannot replace the formal curriculum, but it is no less important. Though, they are not at the level of regular curriculum, they are more effective as the participants tend to keep them more in memory. Considering the effectiveness in delivering the message and knowledge, it is playing more role than being complimentary to formal syllabi.

In nature education the approach is learning with pleasure and adventure and schools cannot take up such programmes. Hence, this aspect is handled by Nature Education Centres in different countries. In Indian schools too, such facility cannot be developed and they do not have required experts who can handle the topics. So, such education is replaced with external excursions, picnics etc. but it is necessary to augment such trips with some sort of lectures or briefings beforehand.

But so far, as prior briefings or classes on nature educations have not been given, such exercises remain as poor replacements of nature education. We also do not have many nature education organisations/centres in the country, but considering the urgency to save and protect nature to combat the monster of climate change, it is hoped that more and more nature education centres and programmes shall come up in near future.

"Look deep, deep into Nature and you will understand everything better!"
- Albert Einstein

Concluded