THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, March 20: The Medininagar Forest Division organised a forest and wildlife awareness programme for students under the leadership of Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Satyam Kumar, a 2015-batch IFS officer.
Under the DFO’s direction, the Chhatarpur East forest range arranged an educational trip to Betla National Park in Latehar district to promote awareness about forest and wildlife conservation.
Students from several schools, including Holy Bright Land Public School, Kasturba Gandhi Girls’ School, Boys Middle School Chhatarpur, Radhe Shyam Vidya Mandir (Lathiya), and Vidya Vihar Vatika (Lathiya), took part in the tour. The group included students from both government and private schools.
Officials Flag Off Programme
The programme began at 7:00 AM at Chhatarpur High School ground on Thursday. Shri Himanshu Lal (IAS), Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Chhatarpur, and Shri P. Lava Kumar (IFS), Probationary Officer-cum-Forest Range Officer, flagged off the buses after distributing diaries and pens to the students.
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Learning Through Nature
DFO Satyam Kumar said the aim was to help students understand forests and build a connection with nature. “Forest itself is a school of nature, where every leaf teaches the art of living,” he said.
For many students, it was their first visit to Betla National Park. They explored Kamaldah Lake, forest trails, and dense forest areas, and also enjoyed birdwatching.
Awareness and Activities
An awareness session on forest conservation was held at NIC, where students presented a skit on saving forests and the effects of deforestation. Competitions such as quizzes, essay writing, and activities on environmental awareness and women’s empowerment were also conducted, with winners awarded.
Focus on Conservation
The initiative aimed to sensitise students to the importance of conserving forests and wildlife. It also highlighted issues like human-wildlife conflict, which many students are aware of through local experiences.
