A nature information centre, focused on creating awareness among local communities as against the conventional practice of catering to tourists, is set for inauguration at Yellemaala village of Kollegal taluk in Chamarajanagar district.

Established by the Nature Conservation   Foundation, it is the first such facility that will benefit local communities, school and college students living on the fringes of the protected areas and forests.

Apart from creating awareness among the public, it will help educate local political and social leaders who have an influence on wildlife conservation, according to Sanjay Gubbi, a wildlife biologist from NCF and the one who has envisaged the concept.

The information centre is named after the tree Terminalia arjuna, called Holematthi in Kannada, and is located on the edge of the M.M. Hills and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries, and is also close to the Biligirirangana Tempe (BRT) Tiger Reserve.

Mr. Gubbi said the centre will have information in Kannada about local flora and fauna, different kinds of wildlife habitats found in M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, all of which are depicted in an artistic form.

Apart from information on plant-animal interactions, threats to wildlife, relationship between insects and food plants, and other scientific information presented in simple understandable language, it also has games about nature, targeted at children.

As Chamarajanagar district has the highest number of tigers and elephants in Karnataka , there are dedicated sections that provide information about these species, in addition to facts about otters, East Indian satinwood tree, edible plants found in the forests and other such interesting information. Behaviour and life cycle of wildlife species are explained in a story format to make it more interesting.

Nature artist Sangeetha Kadur has designed and curated the centre, and many local youths were involved in the project. Chamarajanagar MP R. Dhruvanarayan will inaugurate the centre on Friday.

V. Yedukondalu, Deputy Conservator of Forests, M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, said the centre will also be used by the Forest Department to promote conservation through outreach programmes.

Since the local community co-exists with animals, share the same landscape, and are dependent on natural resources for their survival, educating them on such issues also makes them stakeholders in conservation which will augur well for environment and wildlife protection, said the official.

This is reckoned to be important as conservation efforts by the forest department cannot succeed without local support.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by R. Krishna Kumar / Mysuru – July 06th, 2018