Maharashtra

The environment education activities of the Maharashtra State office (MSO) in the year 2007 have continued with the same enthusiasm as last year.

To begin with the MSO started off with a nature trail on 7th January for its subscribers at Chinchoti falls focusing on the various flora, birds and insects. Following the ESD workshop at the secretariat MSO conducted the ESD activities in five different schools and colleges. On the 24th January, a collaborative activity with the Maharashtra Nature Park Society (MNPS) for the NSS students of Shailender College of Commerce was conducted to generate environmental consciousness.
A nature orientation camp was conducted for the subscribers at Phansad Wildlife sanctuary from 26th to 28th January, where 25 individuals participated. The campers were all to happy to have seen a huge tarantula like Cat spider apart from the ever green forest, giant squirrels, butterflies and birds.

The MSO education department had an exhibition for the Godrej School and Colony in collaboration with the Godrej Mangrove department on occasion of the World Wetlands Day on 2nd February. The exhibits comprised of T-shirts painted by students conveying messages on wetland and mangrove conservation and was highly appreciated by the visitors that numbered to more than 1000 individuals.

CPREEC in collaboration with MNPS organized five TTW s for the BMC teachers where Dr. Goldin Quadros was called as Resource Person and had an opportunity to interact and teach modules on environment education to more than 100 teachers from 5th to 9th February.

On 16th February, MSO staff and volunteers participated in the Mahashivratri Patrolling at S.G. N. P. and helped the Forest officials in controlling the entry of plastics and inflammables into the forest. MSO had started this activity way back in 1990s and now many NGOs also participate with their volunteers.