The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-India) in association with the Society for Odonate Studies (SOS) have conducted odonate training programmes for the front-line staff of the Forest department.
Two-day workshops were organised at the protected areas of Shendurney and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuaries, Parambikulam and Periyar Tiger Reserves, Vazhachal and Munnar Forest Divisions, and Silent Valley National Park from November last to January.
The front-line staff who participated in the programme included beat forest officers, section forest officers, eco-development committee members, trackers and eco-tourism guides. Senior forest officials, including wildlife wardens, divisional forest officers and assistant wildlife wardens, took part in the inaugural sessions.
Experts from SOS, the technical partners for the programme, covered topics on odonates, field identification and taxonomy, on how odonates could be effectively used in park management, and odonate photography. Field sessions were also conducted as part of the workshops.
Thumbimaholtsavam
The workshops were organised in connection with ‘Thumbimaholtsavam’, a dragonfly festival, jointly conducted by WWF-India and SOS. The festival aims at promoting the conservation of dragonflies and damselflies and their habitats.
According to SOS founder member and scientist Sujith V. Gopalan, odonates are known to be the finest indicators of the ecosystem health and can be used for monitoring habitats and microhabitats within a park. Information gathered by such monitoring programmes can be used to ensure effective park management plans. Training the front-line forest staff is bound to facilitate the constant monitoring of such odonates and usher in better management plans and conservation efforts.
WWF-India project officer Anushreedha S.S., who has been coordinating the dragonfly festival in the State, said around 245 forest personnel from seven protected areas took part in the programme.
