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NATURE CAMP OF MODEL NATURE CLUB - 2008-09
For the students of the Model Nature Club of Bhatikar Model High School the New Year 2009 unfolded with an exciting nature camp to Amboli. On the 3rd and 4th of January, the students of the Model Nature Club were taken to an overnight nature camp to picturesque Amboli, a small hill-station in the Sahyadri Mountains as a part of the nature club activities planned for the year 2008-09.
28 students and two teachers, Tr Precilla and Tr. Rati were accompanied by the Director of WWF Mr. Nitin Sawant and nature lovers Mr. Sangam and Miss Trupti Bhagwat. Resource Persons and environmentalists Mr. Suhas Vaingankar and Mr Ravi Bambure from Kolhapur were a storehouse of information on plants, butterflies and other flora and fauna endemic to the Western Ghats.
Amboli, a rich hotspot of biodiversity of India is home to thousands of species of flora. After a game on conservation of water followed by lunch, the students were taken for a nature trail in the early evening to the Sunset Point. On the way they observed the various medicinal plants and trees like adulsa, jamun, shikakai etc. They learnt to identify the funnel web spider and appreciated the way his peculiar funnel like web is formed. They studied ant-hills and Sir Suhas told the group to study ant behaviour as we have a lot to learn from them - notably their organisational skills, discipline, teamwork, industriousness and diligence.
The children were taken on a night trail after a very sumptuous dinner. This was an experience to cherish. Temperatures were around 4-5o C at night but children were well prepared with woollens to observe some nocturnal creatures. The gecko, the civet and the field mouse were some creatures they could see. At night they were shown slide shows on Conservation of Tigers and some photographs on the life of people in Sudan where poverty and food scarcity have turned people into living skeletons.
On 4th early morning after tea at 6 a.m., the group set out on a morning nature trail. They could spot a number of birds like the babbler, the red crested bulbul,the yellow bulbul, the yellow breasted shrike, drongos, jungle crows etc. The most thrilling moment was when the children could handle a green vine snake which is very common in this region. They were then taken to Hiranyakeshi. Later the children were divided into groups and they had to make a presentation on the various topics given to them.
The nature camp to Amboli was a good learning experience for the students and teachers alike. It inculcated amongst them a strong sense of belonging and responsibility towards the environment and made them aware of the rich biodiversity in our motherland. On their way back they were taken to the Amboli waterfall.
The Model Nature Club
Students engrossed in a game on conservation of water
Resource persons Suhas Vaingankar and Nitin Sawant with the group
Sunset Point, Amboli
Tr Precilla and the green vine snake
Nitin Sawant most comfortable with the green vine snake
The gecko
A trail to Hiranyakeshi
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