Pallishree – CEAE
Region
Asia
Country
India
Flyway
Central Asia
Initiative
WLI Asia
About
The centre comprises two RAMSAR sites – Chilika Lake, which is the second largest brackish water lagoon in Asia, and the mangrove forest at Bhitarkanika.
Funding support: JFGE, KNCF, Japan and Chilika Development Authority, Bhubaneswar
Number of staff: 13
Overall aims of the centre
To create awareness among communities and provide environmental education to the school students.
Description of the centre
The centre comprises two RAMSAR sites – Chilika Lake, which is the second largest brackish water lagoon in Asia, and the mangrove forest at Bhitarkanika.
Demonstrations take place at both centres enabling the importance of the individual species present to be discussed interactively by experts with students, with particular attention being given to the bio-diversity that they represent.
In total there are 28 types of fish, 3 types of crab and 4 types of prawn present, all of which are economically important as they provide the livelihood of the million stakeholders who live in and around the lagoon.
Bhubaneswar is visited annually by 800 members of the public and also by 20 officials from the Forest and Environment Government Department at Odisha.
Chilika Lake is visited by foreign delegates and also officials from the Government run Chilika Development Authority.
Work Areas
Main CEPA work areas
Chilika Lake has been chosen by the Centre for Environmental Awareness & Education as the main focus of the CEAE programme.
The overall objectives of the programme, which is a community institution, are to educate and create awareness of the many environmental issues that the lake is facing.
Communication of these issues is achieved through a wide range of methods and the aim is to change make people consider the environmental threats being faced and to change attitudes and everyday practices. The methods used, for which there is only room for a summary in this profile, comprise all of the following:
A dedicated room in each school where trained facilitators act as mentors to the students. Each room has a small museum and library, together with audio visual tools, musical instruments and environmental games. Students participate directly through activity based projects such as collecting specimens for the museum and involvement with drama, dance art and craft.
Meetings with local women to create awareness of good practices for the lagoon. Different approaches are taken at the meetings and range from an informal approach involving community participation through the use of folklore and drama – such as Daskathia, which is local traditional cultural folk play, through to the most formal method of the use of textbooks about Chilika which are published for schools. Daskathia is a particularly interesting approach as it encourages direct participation in an activity which blends the communication of environmental education with entertainment, thus making it an enjoyable learning experience.
Other activities involve the publication of a widely circulated quarterly newspaper in the local language and also books on Chilika; development of educational and audio visual kits and posters; competitions; boat rallies and a sailing festival every year in November; nature camps and trails; participation in World Wetlands Day every February; a floating CEAE centre on a boat in the lagoon and skills training for local farmers in many important issues such as organic farming methods and reduction in the use of pesticides.
Top three successes
Mangrove planting at the river mouth areas of Rushikulya and in Bhitarkanika
Organic farming
The installation of fuel efficient stoves.
Expertise
Interpretation techniques
Creating signage / site information; using audio-visual tools: producing written materials.
Visitor centres
Managing / creating habitat.
Participation
Engaging young people; working with volunteers; engaging the local community; working with students and teachers.
Education and communication
Working with primary schools; working with secondary schools; lobbying / running campaigns; developing resources / materials.
General
Auditing / assessing effectiveness; running effective administration; fund-raising; PR and marketing; health and safety; project planning.
Contact
PALLISHREE
502/2
Mallick Complex
Jagamara
Khandagiri
Bhubaneswar-751030
Ph:91-6742351350
E-mail: pallishree137@gmail.org
Website address: www.pallishreeindia.org