Point Calimere known for its abundance of fauna was the focus of a recent conservation exercise by cadets of 3 Tamil Nadu Air Squadron (Tech) NCC Air Wing, who sensitised the local community on a host of issues, including human-animal conflict to involve residents directly in conservation.
Cadets from Bishop Heber College, Tiruchi, prepared pamphlets with suggestions on conservation measures and distributed them to the local community at Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary, Nagapattinam.
Cadets interacted with local residents, educating them on simple steps they could take to preserve the wildlife in the region. Prior to the field activity, A.Relton, Director, Au Sable Institute and Dean of Extension Activities, Bishop Heber College, made a presentation on the eco system in Point Calimere, a guide to spotting fauna in the region. Highlighting the barriers hindering local conservation, he also dwelt on conservation measures taken by the Ministry of Forests in the area.
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Students who visited the sanctuary were able to spot black buck and wild horses, but only a few birds as the lake was entirely dried up due to monsoon failure, said flying officer Sheeba Princess, flight commandant of NCC Air Wing.
She said the eco awareness campaign was beneficial not only for public but also for students, mostly first generation learners. Group Captain N Thinakaran, commanding officer, 3 (TN), Air Sqn (Tech), NCC, flagged off the campaign. R.Ravi, extension officer, spoke on the role of students and community in nature conservation.